Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Secrets of the Tower
by Gaming98
Summary: Susanshi didn't bet on being chosen to prevent danger from coming to Sacreca, a land containing the remnants of a lost civilization. Joining newcomer Team Revolution, she must discover the meaning behind the strange events, as well as her destiny...
1. Welcome to Sacreca

**Author's note:**

**This is a fictional, fan-made story based on the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, written for entertainment purposes only and is strictly NOT for monetary gain. The author claims absolutely no rights to the Pokémon franchise and its characters. Pokémon, its characters and names are copyright of Nintendo, Game Freak and The Pokémon Company.**

**While this story is based on Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, it does not fall into any official canon, instead it is within its own.**

**This fanfiction, under guidelines, has been classified with the rating "T", meaning it is recommended for those aged 13 and over. Such content awarded with this rating includes:**

**Mild and infrequent use of swears**

**Mild blood and injury detail**

**Moderate battle violence**

**Mild, infrequent sexual innuendo**

**If you enjoyed this fanfiction, please remember to follow me. Also, check out my DeviantArt (Gaming98) for exclusive artworks featuring characters and scenes from this production!**

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Chapter 1 - Welcome to Sacreca

It felt as if it was a dream...

A mysterious void of sorts was all that could be seen. Its infinite brightness held nothing by emptiness. The visually striking whites and blues gave off an otherworldly sense of wonder and intrigue. No sound could be heard but the light air within the void. Suddenly, as if nothing would occur here, a calm and elderly female voice was heard...

"Hello. I am pleased to meet you. You have been chosen for a task of huge importance, and now the time has come. You are about to enter a whole new world...a world far from your own. This world is inhabited by many Pokémon. They live daily lives there, much like yourself in your own world. It is a world of peace. But I fear it will not be that way for long... There is a crisis that is about to unfold in this land. I can sense it. And so, you have been chosen...to avert this great crisis before the damage becomes permanent. Your personality shall soon manifest itself into a new form. This form shall give you the power you need to help you in this mission. But be careful, many dangers are sure to lay ahead. I know this will all seem so sudden to you, but...there is no other option. I don't have much time, so I must bid you farewell for now. I shall now use the last of this power to send you there. Please...save this world... You are...our last hope... Good luck, Susanshi..."

And now...

There was a great meadow of rich green grass in an unknown land. The hills of the meadow stretched out all across the landscape. The sky was clear and blue with not a single cloud to ruin the view. A very light and soothing breeze was blowing across the meadow. Several piles of wheat can be spotted growing in areas, as well as multiple flowerbeds dotted about here and there. The whole scene was like it was straight out of a photograph.

Upon one of the meadow's hills were two figures. They were just two of the many variations of strange creatures known as Pokémon. One stood at around two feet in height on two long, black legs. It featured a furry blue body, head and arms. It had ears which pointed upwards and two black appendages that drooped down on either side of its head. The face was in possession of a black mask-like marking, followed by red eyes. The forehead had three small protruding tufts of fur. The Pokémon was wearing a thin red scarf around its scrawny neck and was also carrying a bag around its shoulder by way of a leather strap attached to it. The bag was rather small and orange in color. It had a flap which went over the top of it to keep it closed. The flap also had a symbol on the front of it, resembling a four-pointed star on the front of a small square. The overall symbol is a light blue color. This Pokémon was a Riolu, a Fighting-type.

The second Pokémon, who was accompanying the Riolu, was orange, lizard-like and standing on two stumpy feet. A small flame burned on the end of its tail. The Pokémon also featured a rather grave expression, along with a thin green headband around its head. The ends of the headband drooped down behind the head and appeared slightly burnt at the tips, most likely caused by the fire on the end of the tail. This Pokémon is Charmander, a Fire-type. They were both standing still at the top of the hill. The Riolu was staring at a small piece of paper that it was holding.

"Alright, Leo. Where do we go from here, huh?" asked the Charmander.

"Oh, um... I...think we've gone the completely wrong way," replied the Riolu as he stared puzzled at the paper.

"What? You're pulling my leg!" snapped the Charmander. "Let me have a look at the map!" He then proceeded to snatch the paper off the Riolu and gaze at it.

"Y-you blooming idiot! You had the map upside-down! We ARE at Jade Meadow!" he said angrily.

"I...I did? Well, that explains why the mountains were upside-down," said the Riolu with a look of embarrassment.

"And out of all the possible partners, I get stuck with YOU!" shouted the displeased Charmander.

"I...I'm sorry, Tokot. Sorry for being such a screw-up on our first mission..." lamented the Riolu.

"Self-pity won't work on me! You'd better make up for this mess in the future!" warned the Charmander.

"I-I'll try. I'm just not feeling all that confident about this..."

"Not confident? You're the one who was saying you wanted to become an Explorer and make a Pokémon of yourself! You're failing right now, don't you get it?!"

"Look, I'm sorry, Tokot. Now, can we get back to the mission? The Berries that Foliar, Flare and Flow want are in Chlorophyll Woods, which is at the end of Jade Meadow. We should get going now, don't you think?"

"Ah, yes. The sooner we get those Berries then the sooner I can demand a better partner."

The duo then began to head off in the west direction. The Riolu appeared to be saddened, likely from guilt.

"Oh, can I have the map back now?" he then asked as they walked.

"Sure, take it. Just don't look at it the wrong way again," said the Charmander as he handed the map back to the Riolu, who then took hold of it, opened up the flap on his bag and placed it within.

A very short while later, the Riolu and Charmander had reached the outside of a cluster of tall trees that together formed a small piece of woodland at the edge of the meadow. They were standing just before a gap in the trees which led inside. A dirt path formed outside the gap and travelled straight down into the entrance.

"This must be Chlorophyll Woods," observed the Charmander.

"Let me have a look at the map to see if it is," said the Riolu as he took the map out of his bag and inspected it.

"...Yes. This is most definitely Chlorophyll Woods," he confirmed.

"Are you absolutely sure this time?" questioned the Charmander.

"I'm as sure as I should be," replied the Riolu.

"I don't believe you, but we'll check here anyway. Now, let's go in there and get those Berries!" said the Charmander.

He began to make his way into the gap in the trees before them, but quickly noticed that the Riolu had not even moved from the spot where he was standing. He turned his head around to spot him staring off to the side of the area.

"Yo, Leo! Quit looking into space and get over here!" called out the Charmander.

"But wait! I think I can see something over there!" claimed the Riolu.

The Charmander gave off a quick sigh.

"OK, I am going to come over there, and I will prove to you that there is nothing there, then we can continue with the mission!" he said as he walked back up to the Riolu.

Once he returned to his side, he looked out hard in the direction the Riolu was looking at.

"Well, I'll be damned. There really is something over there!" he said in very slight surprise.

"See? Why didn't you believe me before?" asked the Riolu.

"Because you hold maps upside-down!" replied the Charmander. "For all I know, you were looking at a fig!"

"No... It can't be that... I'm going to see what that thing is," said the Riolu, before he began to run over to whatever caught his eye.

The Charmander quietly followed behind him. The duo stopped before what they had spotted. It was a small blue object lying down in the grass just outside the woods. It turned out to be yet another Pokémon, lying face-down and unconscious. It sported a sky-blue cape-like feature that started at the base if its neck and went down the back, a light blue body, spherical head, small yellow feet and flipper-like arms.

"It's... It's another Pokémon!" declared the Riolu.

"Leave it, Leo. It's causing a distraction," said the Charmander. "It's probably just lying here, hoping to receive undeserved attention. Or worse, dead."

"How could you say that? We don't even know that!" said the Riolu.

He then started to gently rock the Pokémon with his foot.

"Hey, are you OK? Wake up!" he requested.

There was not a single response.

"Yep, it's dead," the Charmander quickly concluded. "Some scavengers will eat the corpse eventually, so let's just leave it here. I ain't letting it spread whatever it may have to me, and possibly you."

"Not until I make absolute sure that it clearly isn't alive," said the Riolu.

He then discovered a small stick a few inches away from him. He walked up to it, picked it up, returned to the blue Pokémon and began poking at it gently with the stick.

"Come on now, wakey-wakey! Wipe the sand from your eyes and breathe this fresh morning air!" requested the Riolu. "...Please?"

After a few more prods, the Pokémon began to twitch.

"Oh, it's alive after all," announced the Charmander. "Well, too bad for the scavengers."

The stirring Pokémon gave off sleepily groaning sounds as it rolled upright, revealing a white face with a yellow beak, two fur tufts on the forehead which pointed downward at an angle and a pair of half closed, sleep-filled feminine eyes. This Pokémon was known as a Piplup, a penguin-like Water-type. The Piplup sat up and gazed lazily at the Riolu, who was stood standing directly in front of her while still holding the stick he used to poke at her with.

"Hey, how are you?" asked the Riolu. "You're not hurt or anything, are you?"

The moment he finished talking, the Piplup screamed in shock and disbelief, all while still staring at him:

"AHHHHHHHH!"

"H-hey! Calm down! It's only a stick!" stated the Riolu. "I don't think I poked you too hard with it. ...Did I?"

"Nah, you're way too soft to cause harm with a stick. What you'd need is a log. Now THAT would hurt," said the Charmander.

The Piplup had then looked upon the Charmander after hearing his voice, only to appear even more shocked than previously.

"No! This is impossible! Y-you shouldn't be talking!" shouted the Piplup as she sat up.

"Oh? But I am!" replied the Riolu, "I'm talking, you're talking... We all talk!"

"But...but Pokémon can't talk!" stated the Piplup, shaking her head.

"I think this girl's deranged all the way," said the Charmander.

"D-deranged? I-I can't be!" the Piplup bellowed. "You can't talk! That's how it should be! How is this all even possible?!"

"Hey, you're a Pokémon too, you know!" said the Riolu with a look of concern.

"W-what? Me, a Pokémon?!" questioned the Piplup. "N-no! I won't accept it! There's just no way that I'm a..."

She was halted during her speech. She had caught a glimpse of her reflection within the Riolu's eyes. She saw a Piplup staring right back at her. She stared into the eyes and raised her flipper up into the air. The image in the eyes repeated the exact same action. Without hesitation, she grabbed Riolu by the arm and pulled him down towards her and stared harder into his eyes.

"W-whoa! We've only just met! You sure you want to go there already?" asked the Riolu in surprise, left on his knees.

The Piplup didn't respond. Instead she shared gazes with the reflection. She then placed her remaining hand on her face to see the reflection doing the exact same thing in real time. She removed her grasp of the Riolu and screamed once more.

"OH NO! I REALLY AM A POKÉMON! I'M A PIPLUP!" she wailed with her eyes widened.

She then proceeded to examine her new and unfamiliar body.

"I...I am blue! I don't even have fingers! And... Whoa, I sure did lose a lot of weight. Or did I put it on...? Ohhhhh! I can't tell!"

"Why is being a Pokémon such a surprise to you? Haven't you always been one?" wondered the Riolu.

"Yep, definitely amnesia," declared the Charmander.

"No, it's not amnesia," claimed the Piplup. "I remember going to bed last night!"

"Well, it's not like you had an all-nighter, is it?" questioned the Charmander.

"No! No no no no no! Why is this happening?!" barked the Piplup.

She then attempted to stand up. She did so in a relatively clumsy manner, wobbling as she tried to keep herself stood on her tiny feet. She trembled as she tried to keep her balance.

"You're not feeling well, are you?" wondered the Riolu.

"Well? Am I well?! Of course not! I'm a Piplup!" snapped the panicking Pokémon. "This just isn't right!" She began to run away from the Riolu and Charmander. She had only taken a few steps before tumbling over and landing on her face. The blades of grass eased the impact greatly. She then lifted herself back up and stood up shakily.

"Ohhh... I can barely even walk like this..." she said quietly to herself, her head pointed down at the ground below in grief.

"Will you please calm down?" requested the Riolu as he approached the Piplup. "Just keep taking deep breaths. It'll help you feel better."

"I... I wish I could feel better..." sighed the Piplup. "But given my current situation, I don't know if I can do that."

"Well, whatever your situation, we'll try to assist you any way we can," assured the Riolu. "It's what we do, right, Tokot?"

"Uh, yeah, whatever," responded the Charmander, who had also got closer to the Piplup.

"Thanks for that. But...you misunderstand," said The Piplup.

"Misunderstand what exactly?" wondered the clueless Riolu.

The Piplup turned around to look at the Riolu. She paused for a moment to think to herself, whether or not to discuss her problems with him.

"How will this Riolu react if I told him the truth?" she asked herself in her head. "Wouldn't he be freaked out by it? Well, not as freaked out as I am right now, probably. OK, I'll tell him..."

"OK, this may sound crazy, and believe me, this is already pretty crazy for myself," she said. "The thing is... I'm a human."

The Riolu wore a shocked face after hearing this. The Charmander looked rather unimpressed and unconvinced.

"A...a human?! Are you sure?!" questioned the Riolu as he dropped his stick. "But...that's insane! Aren't humans giant compared to your size? And don't you have...c-clothes? Wait, do you call them clothes? I can't remember..."

"Of course I am a human!" explained the Piplup in response. "And yes, it's clothes we wear!" She then took a moment to peer down at herself.

"Whoa! I'm not wearing clothes now! Geez...this is so wrong! I'm naked!"

She covered her body with her flippers, giving off a slight blush in the process.

"...Naked? But you have fur, don't you?" wondered the Riolu, bearing a face of utter confusion.

"I...I guess this is better than nothing," said the Piplup, bearing her body once more.

"But still, I'm finding this very hard to grasp," said the Riolu. "You're a human, but you're a Piplup right now. What's even going on?"

"...Even I'm unsure about that," replied the Piplup. "The last thing I can remember before all this was dreaming about being in this white void thing and hearing this voice telling me that I have a mission. Then I wake up here!"

"Really? Anything else?" asked the Riolu.

"Yes... That voice said something about having another form," replied the Piplup. "Maybe... Maybe I'm still dreaming! I refuse to accept this as reality! Hey, one of you! Hit me! Help me to wake up from all of this!"

"Y-you want me...to hit you?" wondered the Riolu, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

"Yes! I'll be back in my own bed and as a human! And I'll have clothes on again! Now hit me! Hit me as hard as you can! Don't hold back!" ordered the Piplup.

The Riolu was starting to look nervous, suggesting that he was uncomfortable with the idea of causing pain to somebody he had just met. The Charmander, with a sigh, then walked up to her.

"Enough of this. So you want me to hit you? Very well then," he said impatiently.

He took a swipe at the Piplup's face with his claws, directly to the face.

"Ouch!" she cried out as she held her head in her hands.

"If this was a dream that you were having, then you would have vanished by now," said the Charmander. "But you're still here, so therefore, as much as you may not like it, it's no dream. This is really happening."

The Piplup then uncovered her face, revealing three scratch marks running across her face.

"Nope, this is reality," she said to herself.

She began to feel light-headed.

"Oh, maaaaan..."

Then, out of disbelief, she fainted to the ground, landing on her back.

"Looks like she can no longer accept being a Pokémon," said the Charmander. "Well, this was quite the time-waster. Come on Leo, let's get back on track."

"Wait, something's not right," said the Riolu, before he knelled down beside the Piplup. "I mean... What if she's telling the truth? Then we can't just leave her like this. We should help her!"

"What? Oh, no way, Leo! I'm not going to be more of an errand boy than what I already am!" replied the Charmander in disapproval.

"But isn't being an Explorer all about helping out those in need?" wondered the Riolu.

"I want monetary gain from it all. That's why I joined the EA in the first place!"

"I think you've misunderstood the point of being an Explorer..."

"Misunderstood? You're the one who can't even read maps properly!"

"Hey, I said I was sorry! I was just nervous about becoming an Explorer, so it left me unfocused!"

"Unfocused? Even my a..."

The Charmander was suddenly interrupted by a now-conscious Piplup:

"What's with all the arguing?"

"Oh, feeling any better?" asked the Riolu.

"Y-yes," replied the Piplup with slight unease. "I get it now. I'm not dreaming, I'm really a Pokémon now. Whatever that voice was, it said I had a mission. I guess I should just accept my fate."

"What kind of mission?" asked the Riolu.

"Something about a crisis that will occur," replied the Piplup. "I don't know any other details."

"A crisis? I bet it's something to do with Leo here," suggested a cocky Charmander.

"No... I doubt that," said the Riolu. "If I was going to cause a crisis, I'd be aware of it, right?"

The Charmander slapped his head with his palm upon hearing this.

"Well, if a crisis is going to happen then I can't really just stand here and do nothing, even if I've only just started my first term at the EA," said the Riolu.

"Oh, that reminds me of something..." said the Piplup as she got back up onto her feet. "We should properly get acquainted, shouldn't we? I mean, what happened before wasn't really the way of doing it. So yeah... My name is Susanshi, and I'm a human who's feeling pretty weird right now. Where am I exactly?"

"Should have said this a little sooner, but my name is Leo," said the Riolu. "Pleasure to meet you."

He then held his right arm out at Susanshi. After a hesitant response, she grabbed his hand and shook it

lightly, then let go.

"So yeah...I'm a Riolu. I'm also a rookie Explorer," continued Leo.

"Yes, I know a lot about Pokémon. You don't need to tell me your species," said Susanshi.

"And this Charmander here is named Tokot. He's my exploration partner," continued Leo.

"Yeah, good to meet you," greeted Tokot, before whispering quietly to himself: "Well, not really."

"I apologize for any rudeness my partner here gives off. He's just a little upset because he lives in a garden shed," explained Leo.

"Don't remind me, you twit!" snapped Tokot.

"And this is Jade Meadow, in the world of Sacreca," said Leo, completely glancing over Tokot's insult.

"Sacre-what?" questioned Susanshi with uncertainty.

"Sacreca. Say-cre-kah," replied Leo.

"Sacreca? Ah, I get it now," said Susanshi. "And what's this whole thing about Explorers, may I ask?"

"It's pretty much the big thing about Sacreca. You see, in the local town there's the Explorers' Academy, or EA for short. It's sort of like a school where Explorer hopefuls spend several years at to learn about the ways of the Explorers. Pokémon come from all over to get in on the action and excitement! Those who do good during their time at the EA eventually graduate and can become independent teams. The rules are set so that each team must have one team leader and a maximum of four team members. We have to be in teams, you see. Those without partners can go with any other team or solo person. Of course, nobody was interested in letting us two join, so naturally we ended up being paired together," Leo detailed as best he could, all while still trying to keep it brief.

"And boy, do I ever wish that didn't happen!" exclaimed Tokot.

"That's all really interesting, Leo," said Susanshi. "But what can I do?"

"Pretty obvious, really. You can join us!" replied Leo. "We'll help you with your predicament however we can!"

"Oh, you'd really do that for me?" wondered Susanshi.

"Sure thing! Explorers help out those in need!" replied Leo. "Plus, me and Tokot can help you with your own mission, all while trying to uncover the mystery of it all."

"Oh, thank you, Leo." said Susanshi. "It looks like I have no other choice, so hopefully I can find out what exactly's happening. That voice was too quick to abandon me here, so I haven't any idea what to do right now."

"Just as long as she doesn't screw things up as bad as Leo, then I guess I'm fine with her," said Tokot rudely.

"Right now, we don't have a name for our team, but we'll think of something soon," said Leo. "Oh! Speaking of which, we should get back to our mission!"

"Oh? And what mission's that?" asked Susanshi.

"We've been tasked with going into Chlorophyll Woods, which is right next to us, to gather some Berries for the café owners back in Sacreca Town," explained Leo.

He then reached into his bag and pulled out a smaller piece of paper and looked at it.

"They want five lots of Cheri Berries, Rawst Berries, Sitrus Berries and Pecha Berries. All of them grow in these woods."

"I see. Well, I guess I can help the two of you out with that," said Susanshi. "But... In exchange, you'll help me, of course. So sorry to have to drag you into my own problem, but I'm not of this world, and I just want to get it done with so I can get back home!"

"Hey, we already agreed to help you," reminded Leo. "I'm sure Master Eag will allow you to join our team. He's the leader of the EA, by the way. We can register you for the EA once we get back to town. Let's go get those Berries first."

"Whoa whoa whoa, wait a minute," said Susanshi as she backed off a little. "Do I really have to join your team? But I don't exactly plan on staying here, you know!"

"Don't worry! We'll register you with us so that you blend in. You get what I mean?" said Leo. "If you join us, then people will think you're a part of the team. Nobody will suspect a thing!"

"So you want to go home? Good riddance, I'll say," said Tokot.

"Tokot, please!" said Leo. "Again, I apologize for Tokot's behavior."

"Oh, that's OK. I'm sure he...doesn't mean it, really," said Susanshi.

"Humph. That's what you think," mumbled Tokot silently.

"Enough of this, let's go get those Berries!" said Leo. "Just follow me, Susanshi."

With that, he, Susanshi and Tokot all headed back towards the gap in the trees and entered Chlorophyll Woods. During this, Susanshi was wondering to herself:

"This is such a weird series of events... I went to sleep last night, then I have that dream with the voice... Now here I am with the body of a Piplup. What is the meaning of this? Why me, of all people? Well, I don't think I'll learn that answer right away, or worse yet, not learn at all... No! I must not think like that! I'll just have to think positive! In the meantime, I'm sure these two will help me out. But until then...I'll just have to wait..."


	2. Into the Woods

Chapter 2 - Into the Woods

The light within the woods was dimmer than that of outside, as only a minuscule amount of sunlight could pierce through the treetops. Susanshi, Leo and Tokot were all making their way down the dirt path that started at the entrance gap. They traveled past much foliage and such other thriving plantlife as Leo and Susanshi were engaging in conversation with one another, all while Susanshi appeared to be wobbling slightly as she walked, suggesting that she wasn't quite used to doing so in her new body yet.

"Soooo... What's it like being human?" wondered Leo.

"Oh it's nothing like this, that's for sure," replied Susanshi. "It's so weird being three times smaller than what I'm used to."

"Yeah, I can imagine you're not used to your Piplup body yet," said Leo. "Oh, and what are clothes like? In fact, why do your kind wear them?"

"You know, I'm not so sure. It's pretty much a natural thing for us," said Susanshi.

"Are there any times when humans don't wear clothes?"

"Oh... Well, yeah, like when having a bath or shower, but some of the other stuff... Uh, that's not exactly something to discuss."

"Why?"

"...It's just not things that should be talked about in social chitchat. Now I wish I didn't bring it up..."

"Really? Now that's left me curious..."

"Um... Well, good luck learning about it, because I'm not telling you."

"Man, us Pokémon sure have a lot to learn about you humans. Only the expert scholars know a great deal about humans. But even then there are things we don't know."

"Oh, sounds a lot like our own attitude towards Pokémon. Pretty funny, really."

"I'd imagine so. The only way normal Pokémon here can learn about human life is at the library back in town these days."

"Oh? You have a library?"

"Yep, complete with a section on humans."

"Oh... That's simply fascinating. It'll be interesting to see how accurate these books are. I'm the only one who'll know the truth, after all."

"Yeah yeah yeah, that's all nice and all, but I still refuse to accept the fact that this Piplup is a human. It's nonsense. She's faking it. She must be!" mentioned Tokot, butting into the chat.

"Tookot, please believe me," requested Susanshi. "I mean, is there any way to prove it to you?"

"Nope," replied Tokot. "And the name's Tokot, not Tookot!"

"I-I'm sorry..." uttered Susanshi.

"Looking back at it, Tokot does have a point," said Leo. "Even I'm finding it difficult to believe all of this. The whole thing about a human turning into a Pokémon and sent off to an unfamiliar world is not exactly a daily occurrence. But whatever you are, human or Pokémon, I'm taking your word for it. I'm trusting you. You have a problem regardless, so I'm offering my assistance to you. It's what Explorers should do."

"Trusting strangers, are we?" questioned Tokot.

"It's not like that...!" insisted Leo.

"Actually, it's exactly like that," argued Tokot. "But either way, until I've become fully convinced that Susanshi truly is a human, I'm going to remain sceptical about it."

"Don't worry, Susanshi. We should just continue with our plans, no matter what Tokot thinks," said Leo.

"Yes, of course," agreed Susanshi. "And thanks."

After a short time, the trio had come to a large, open area filled with a large abundance of individual trees, each bearing a different type of Berry growing from the branches. It was like a treasure trove of sustenance.

"Whoa!" gasped Leo in awe. "There must be at least thirty different types of Berries growing here!"

"Oh, indeed. It's quite a sight," said Susanshi. "Then let's go find the Berries you're after. You do know what they look like, right?"

"Oh... Hold on a second," said Leo as he reached into his bag and took out the list again. "Right, let's see here..."

He looked closely at the list, which featured drawn pictures of the Berries with their names written next to them.

"OK, so Cheri Berries are small, red and round with green stalks."

"Great. I'll go look around for those," offered Susanshi.

"Rawst Berries are a...sort of bluish-green with green leaves on top," continued Leo.

"Leave those to me," said Tokot.

"Sitrus Berries are yellow with orange spots on them. "I'll go and find those. We'll get the final remaining Berries after," concluded Leo.

The trio then headed off into their own directions to search for the wanted Berries. Tokot wondered about with his head held high as he stared up at the treetops. Leo was doing the same thing, scanning the treetops for the Sitrus Berries. Susanshi was wondering a little more aimlessly around while still wobbling on her small feet.

"Ugh, this just doesn't feel right to me," she said to herself. "All I wanted was a peaceful night's sleep and now look where I am! How did I get into this mess?"

She paused to look down at her feet. She carefully took her left leg and moved it forward slowly. She repeated the same with her right foot. She repeated the pattern for a few more steps, starting from a tiptoe and gradually reaching a walking state. Her clumsiness was now reduced significantly.

"OK, I think I'm getting the hang of using these new feet of mine," she told herself.

Leo, who was still searching for the Sitrus Berries, spotted what he had been looking for high up in a tree he was standing in front of. There were multiple plump, yellow Berries dotted with orange spots hanging from the tree's branches on short, green stalks.

"I've found the Sitrus Berries!" announced Leo. "But... How am I going to get them? Hmmm... Wait, I know!"

He then removed his bag, set it down on the ground and opened it up. He pulled out a tough rope that was bundled up into a circle, and leaving the bag where it was, approached the Sitrus Berry tree trunk and wrapped the rope around it.

"Well... Here goes nothing," said Leo to himself nervously.

Grasping each end of the rope, he lifted one leg up and placed it onto the tree trunk. He took the other leg and did the same action, resulting in him standing at an angle on the trunk. Leaning back, he nudged the rope up as he carefully stepped up the trunk to descend, all while trying, unsuccessfully, to stay calm.

"J-just don't look down, Leo. You can do it!" he encouraged himself.

Meanwhile, Tokot was standing still while looking up at a different tree. Its branches beared triangular shapes of the color green, with little specks all over them and green leaves on top.

"Ah, the Rawst Berries," he said to himself.

He then shot a very small ember from his mouth and at one of the Berries high up. Tokot had fired the ember with surprising accuracy, as it only hit the point where the Berry and tree meet, causing the Berry to simply drop to the ground without any damage caused to it. The process repeated four more times until a total of five Rawst Berries were removed from the tree branch. Tokot picked each Berry up one at a time and carried them in his arms. He then looked over to the left to see Leo around ten feet away, unsteadily climbing up the trunk of the Sitrus Berry tree.

"H-half way there..." muttered Leo to himself.

Immediately after, his left foot slipped off the trunk, leaving Leo to lose his cool somewhat.

"Ahh! No! No no no no no!" he cried out.

"You're fine, Leo! Just keep going!" called out Tokot.

Leo ceased his panicking and calmly placed his foot back into place, keeping him stable again.

"Thanks, Tokot!" he said, before continuing his perilous climb.

"Oh great, he'd better not land on his head," Tokot sighed to himself. "I couldn't possibly imagine a brain damaged Leo..."

He continued to watch Leo. Soon after, Leo finally reached the point were the branch of the Berries was right within reach. He stretched one arm out at it and grabbed hold of it. He daringly, yet with a lack of confidence, leaped onto the branch, letting go of the rope, which fell to the ground. Leo was successful, and was now hanging from the branch. He hoisted himself up on top of the branch and sluggishly moved across it.

"Yo, Leo!" called out Tokot. "That branch ain't gonna hold!"

"It's OK, Tokot! I'm getting closer to the Berries!" replied Leo, unaware of the fact that the branch had a crack running down it near its base.

The crack got bigger and bigger as Leo got closer and closer to the Berries. Finally, he was within range of the target Berries. He reached out for them, but they were just out of reach, so he inched a little more towards them. Tokot merely sighed and made his way over to the Sitrus Berry tree, almost as if he knew of what was about to occur. He quietly opened up Leo's bag and placed his Rawst Berries within, before looking back up at Leo.

Soon, without warning, the branch finally gave way and snapped, Leaving Leo and the branch to plummet down to earth. He landed with a painful-sounding thud. Tokot simply stood staring with an annoyed feeling as Leo laid on the ground with spirals in his eyes.

"Owwww... At least we...have the Berries now..." mumbled Leo in a dazed manner.

"Just pull yourself together and put the Berries in the bag!" ordered Tokot, before picking Leo up and slapping him across the face several times.

Leo immediately came to his senses from the hit.

"O-oh yeah. Of course," he said as Tokot released him.

He then plucked the Sitrus Berries one by one from the fallen branch, before finally depositing them into his bag and equipping it over his shoulder again.

"Right, that leaves the Cheri and Pecha Berries now," said Tokot. "Oh, but where's the proclaimed human?"

He and Leo looked around their surroundings in search of Susanshi. It didn't take long for them to find her standing beneath another tree to the far left. Its branches sported tiny crimson Berries hanging down from thin, green, curly stalks.

"There she is," said Leo.

"What is she even doing?" questioned Tokot.

Susanshi was just staring up at the high-up Berries, doing seemingly nothing whatsoever to attempt to collect them.

"Um... How am I going to do this?" she wondered to herself.

"Hey Susanshi, is everything OK?" called out Leo in concern as he and Tokot approached.

"I would be lying if I said 'yes'", responded Susanshi. "The thing is... I don't know how I can get the Berries down."

"Even if you're a human in a Pokémon's body, surely you have at least one move at your disposal, right?" suggested Leo.

"I'm sure I do too, but what exactly?" wondered Susanshi.

"Just try something. Anything!" said Leo.

"Um... OK, I'll see what I can do," said a confidence-lacking Susanshi.

Then, seemingly at random, she began to blow a bubble from the tip of her beak. Herself and Leo looked surprised as it continued to grow as big as her head before finally bursting.

"Whoa! Did I really just do that?" Susanshi questioned.

"Seeing is believing, is it not?" replied Tokot.

"That must have been... Must have been Bubble Beam!" stated Susanshi. "Or...at least it tried to be."

"Susanshi, try that again, but try to make more bubbles this time," instructed Leo.

"Yeah," agreed Susanshi. "Let me try."

She looked back up at the Cheri Berries, then began to blow some more bubbles. She was able to release a few bubbles, which simply and harmlessly floated into the air. After a few more failed attempts she then began to concentrate her power. With one more deep breath, she began to exhale a long stream of bubbles, which traveled in a straight line towards the branch of Berries.

"There! That's it, Susanshi! Keep it up!" cheered Leo.

Susanshi continued the Bubble Beam, knocking the Cheri Berries down individually, landing on the cushioning grass down below. Once five Cheri Berries were removed from the branch, Susanshi ceased the firing of Bubble Beam.

"Nice one, Susanshi!" complemented Leo. "You're really starting to get the hang of it."

"Yeah, not too shabby, I guess," said Tokot.

"Wow, I'm starting to get the hang of all this," said Susanshi. "But...I wonder what other moves I have. I should try to learn to use them all if I can."

"Yeah, you totally should," agreed Leo as he bent down to pick up the Cheri Berries.

They were fairly wet from the bubbles, so he wiped them dry on his furry arm and stored them in the bag.

"Great, that's three out of four Berries. Now all that's left are the Pecha Berries."

"Yeah, those kind of Berries are pink," detailed Susanshi.

"We'll probably have a better chance of finding them if we split up and search this area," said Leo.

"Good idea," agreed Susanshi. "We'll meet back up in the middle of this area after five minutes.

And so, she, Leo and Tokot all went in separate directions in search for the Pecha Berries.

The trio had carefully examined each and every tree in the area, yet none turned up having Pecha Berries. They all met back up in the center of the area after several minutes.

"Any luck?" asked Leo.

"Nope, nothing," replied Susanshi.

"No Pecha Berries here," responded Tokot.

"Darn! Well, maybe they're elsewhere in these woods," speculated Leo.

"Oh, you're suggesting we go deeper into the woods?" questioned Tokot. "You'd better not get us lost in there!"

"Um... I'll try not to," replied Leo. "Let's just stick together."

"Yes, good idea," said Susanshi. "Getting lost is the last thing I'd want to do."

The three Pokémon then headed into the back of the area of Berry trees. Leo had, unaware, left behind the rope he depended on behind. Within the back was another dirt path leading deeper into the woods. The group followed the path into a section where the plantlife was greater in quantity than previously. At the end of the path was another area of multiple Berry-bearing trees, only smaller than the first area with fewer Berry variety. And there, right in the center of this new area, was a tree of pink, peach-shaped Berries with two green leaves on top.

"There! Those are the Pecha Berries!" announced Susanshi.

"Then let's grab some and finally get back to town," said Tokot.

He stepped forward and prepared to shoot embers at the stalks of the Pecha Berries. Suddenly, he was delayed by an odd sound coming from nearby.

"Huh? Did anyone else hear that?" he asked.

"Hear what?" wondered Susanshi.

"It sounded like...somebody giggling!" claimed Tokot.

Then, he heard the sound once more.

"There it was again!"

Just then, a rather young and nonsensical scream came from behind the Pecha Berry tree. A fairly young bird-like Pokémon came rushing out from its hiding spot. It was small and brown, standing on yellow webbed feet, along with a black V-shaped pattern on its forehead and a bright, blonde-colored beak. It was holding a piece of leek in one wing. This Pokémon was known as a Farfetch'd. It stormed towards Tokot while emitting a high-pitched battle cry.

"Hiiiiiiyaaaaa!" it yelled.

Once it had gotten close to Tokot, it swung its leek into him. Tokot didn't react in the slightest on impact. Instead, he just stood staring at the young Farfetch'd in irritation.

"...Wait, you're not the seekers," the Farfetch'd said in realization while taking his leek off of Tokot.

"Kid, I didn't even feel that," informed Tokot.

"Huh? Lou? What are you doing in the woods?" asked Leo. "I thought you were told you're not allowed here."

"Nah! Forget the rules! I'm playing hide-n-seek with the others!" stated the Farfetch'd. "They haven't found me yet! I was right to pick this place! I'm unstoppable!"

"Listen, Lou. You'll get into so much trouble if your mother finds out you were here. You should come home with us," said Leo. "These big bad woods aren't safe for you."

"I can't! We're still playing!" said Lou.

"Hey kid, how would you like it if you became lost in these woods? Then you'll start questioning your decision," said Tokot with little care.

"That's not very nice, Tokot. He's just a kid," said Susanshi in disapproval.

"Like I care," snapped Tokot. "He's the one who went in here, even though he should know he shouldn't."

"Don't listen to Tokot, Lou. But still, you should come back to town with us," said Leo.

"Oh, OK then. I'll go back," decided Lou. "I was getting bored with waiting. I've been here for like an hour waiting to be found!"

"Good. But wait for us to get some Pecha Berries for Foliar, Flare and Flow," said Leo.

"You want some Pecha Berries? Allow me!" offered Lou.

With a pull-back of his right wing, he threw his leek stick into the air at the hanging Pecha Berries. The leek spun around as it made its journey, but ended up falling back down to earth before it could make impact with anything, landing on the ground. Lou was left looking rather disappointed at this outcome.

"Nice try, kid. But you've got a long way to go before you have even a decent throwing wing," said Tokot.

He next proceeded to burn down a bunch of Pecha Berries down from the tree.

"There. That's the last of them."

He approached the Berries, picked them all up, walked on over to Leo and placed them within his bag.

"Man, Tokot, you're too good at that," remarked Leo. "How do you even do it?"

"Simple! I get good at it!" responded Tokot.

"...That's not much of an answer..." muttered Leo.

"So now we're done here, right?" asked Susanshi.

"Yep, we can go back to town now," replied Leo.

"Let's get going right now," said Tokot. "Yo, Lou! We're outta here!"

"OK, Tokot. I'll be a good boy. I promise!" he assured as he reclaimed his leek.

"And I should hope so, runt," remarked Tokot.

And so, Susanshi, Tokot and Leo, followed by Lou, all made their way back through the woods and back outside to Jade Meadow.

A short while later, the group were continuing their journey across the lush pasture of the meadow.

"I sure hope Andrew, Donnie and Jim don't get lost trying to find me," said Lou in concern.

"They would've gotten lost if you stayed in the woods!" responded Tokot.

"He's right, you know," concurred Leo. "You're still too young to wander out of town alone."

"Yo, Leo! I just realized!" said Tokot. "We got the Berries for the café, AND we rescued a lost child! We'll get double the rewards for sure!"

"Oh, that...does sound good, I guess," said Leo, unsure of how exactly to react.

"Why do you both sound so desperate for the rewards?" wondered Susanshi.

"I'm not so bothered, really. It's mainly Tokot," mentioned Leo.

"I ain't an Explorer for nothing, you know!" responded Tokot. "Without the prizes, there's no point!"

"That...sounds a little selfish, don't you think?" questioned Susahshi.

"Selfish? I assure you that I have nothing but good intentions!" claimed Tokot.

"He comes from a family of poverty. That's why he's so desperate for rewards. It was his true reason for becoming an Explorer in the first place," detailed Leo.

"Hey! It's all for my father, mother and kid sister!" exclaimed Tokot. "I'm not so bothered about keeping the rewards for myself. Anything that will benefit my family goes straight to them!"

"At least you have good intention, Tokot. But I don't see the point of being rotten," said Susanshi.

"Rotten? I gotta do what I gotta do!" announced Tokot.

"Yeah, I understand all that, but you should try being a little...nicer towards everyone else, don't you think?" said Susanshi.

"It's simple; I don't tolerate the dim-witted and weak! If I am to be successful, then my partners must be successful, too!" stated Tokot. "That goes for you as well, Susanshi!"

"I-I'm just trying to get back home, and that is something I'm determined to do!" Susanshi stated.

"Then I should hope you stick to your word, because we all have no choice but to be in this together," said Tokot.

"Hey, why sound so grieved? It could turn out to be really exciting!" said Leo.

"I'm not in this for the excitement!" snapped Tokot.

"Why can't you at least try to enjoy yourself, Tokot?" asked Susanshi. "It could be a fun time, just like Leo said. Know what I mean?"

"I've already made it clear that it's all for my family's benefit!" restated Tokot.

"Then I guess we won't try convincing you anymore. We'll just leave you to discovery the true nature of being an Explorer," said Leo.

"Speak for yourself, Leo!" barked Tokot.

"Hey, I've said enough times that I'm just nervous! I-I'll get braver, just like my father! You'll see!"

Leo sounded highly determined with his words, yet psychologically he wasn't as such.

"If I had money then I'd bet it all on that!" stated Tokot.

"...Do older people always have to argue?" questioned Lou, who had remained mute until just now.

"Best not to get involved in these silly spats, Lou," replied Leo.

"Hey, you started it all!" claimed Tokot.

"That will do, Tokot. That will do," responded Leo calmly.

As the group continued on with their trudge through the meadow, Susanshi began to take observation of the clusters of wheat dotted around the site.

"So you all grow wheat around here?" she quizzed.

"Oh yes, we do," confirmed Leo. "Jade Meadow is where we grow our wheat. Once it's fully grown, some people from town come to harvest it. Wheat is very important to many of Sacreca Town's residents."

"I see. That's pretty intriguing," commented Susanshi. "It's amazing how intelligent Pokémon can be. You see, we usually see you as primitive in comparison to us, with the exception being your wild instincts."

"Primitive? Us? Ha! We're loads better than what you think!" stated Tokot.

"What? Why is the penguin talking like that?" wondered Lou out loud. "It's confusing..."

"Oh, it's nothing. Ignore me. And please, call me Susanshi," replied Susanshi.

"OK, Miss Susanshi," said Lou.

Some time past, and at long last the group had reached their target destination: a wooden sign hanging up above on two tall wooden stakes. The foursome halted before it.

"We're here now," said Leo as he looked up at the sign.

The sign read "Welcome to Sacreca Town".

"Really? Wow, it's so...big," commented Susanshi in absolute amazement as she stared out into the area past the sign.

From where she was stood, there were a slew of structures of varying shapes, sizes and even materials scattered about, taking the form of a fairly developed municipality. Various Pokémon could be seen, going about their own business. The ground within the town consisted of stone slabs laid neatly together to form pathways. The entire town was also encased by a short wooden fence running all around the perimeter.

"Yep, Sacreca Town, the biggest town in the land," said Leo. "It's also home. Well then, let's return Lou and take these Berries to the café. Let's go, everyone!"

As the gang marched together into the town, another thought came to Susanshi's mind:

"Well, it certainly looks cozy. I think I'll like it here. Still... This is going to feel really strange, being surrounded by so many Pokémon living like this. Sure, I'd fit in easily with my current form, but my human mind is still here. Well, nothing I can do but try not to stick out too much. Just adapt. Yeah, that's all..."


	3. Around Town

Chapter 3 - Around Town

Susanshi remained awestruck as she entered the town area along with Tokot, Leo and Lou. She was captivated by the mere concept of a full settlement produced entirely by Pokémon, a species considered less productive than her own kind. She was amazed by how well-built the town was, especially considering the likely limitations the creatures may have in this land.

Upon walking through the main entrance, a large circular section was visible, with a basic pattern made from multiple bricks of varying colors. In the very center was a water fountain surrounded by simple wooden benches. Several Pokémon were sat on said benches. In the middle of the fountain itself was a statue depicting a graceful bird-type creature, wings held high up, standing upon a round pedestal. To the left of this area was a street, with multiple facilities lining each side. The right featured the same. In the back was an empty path leading to what was likely another way in and out of the town. The entirety of the group stopped just in front of the fountain.

"My goodness, this whole place is quite something!" Susanshi commented to herself in her mind. "Seeing all these Pokémon live like humans... It really is fascinating. I could really get used to this."

Then, she started to take notice of the fountain's statue. It looked as if it was staring down at her, its expression seemed particularly accentuated, radiating a sense of great authority.

"Man, that statue sure looks important," Susanshi continued to herself. "I wonder who that Pokémon is? Looks kinda like...a Ho-Oh..."

"Susanshi?" Leo's voiced emitted.

"...Huh? What is it, Leo?" wondered Susanshi, now back to reality.

"It looked like you were spacing out there," said Leo.

"Oh, I'm fine. I was just lost in thought," replied Susanshi.

"All right then, if you say so. Well then, we'll drop Lou off first. Then we'll take the Berries to the café," said Leo. "It's on East Street."

He and the others continued to stroll, this time going in the direction right of the fountain. It didn't take very long for three other Pokémon, within Lou's age group, to hurry towards them. One was a Surskit, a Pokémon standing on four short legs attached to a small, blue body, followed by cheek-like markings, beady eyes and a short, yellow stalk on its head. The second Pokémon was an Oddish, a blue sphere shape on small legs but no arms, tiny red eyes and multiple leaves growing on top. The third and final one was a Mime Jr., with a bright pink body and face, small red bump-like appendage on its stomach, a clown-nose and a dark-blue hat of sorts with a white ball on the end.

"Aha! We've finally found you, Lou!" the Oddish called out.

"Nah, I ain't playing anymore," claimed Lou. "If we were then I wouldn't have come back with these guys."

"Hey, no fair! You're only saying that to stop yourself from losing!" snapped the Surskit.

"That is not true, Andrew! I swear!" claimed Lou.

"Yeah right," said Andrew, the Surskit. "Donnie, you don't believe him, right?"

"Of course not!" answered the Oddish.

"And you, Jim?" continued Andrew.

"Nope, he's just cheating because he doesn't want to risk being a big loser!" responded the Mime Jr..

"That's not true! Um... I mean... OK, I cheated. I left the town. I hid in the woods in the west," confessed Lou.

"Ha! Knew it!" howled Andrew. "You're nothing but a cheat!"

"Cheat! Cheat! Cheat!" chanted the youthful trio in unison.

"That's enough, runts. Why don't you try playing nice now?" said Tokot.

"We'll play nice only if Lou does!" stated Jim.

"We'll even make sure he plays fair!" claimed Donnie. "If he doesn't we'll take away his leek!" He and Jim began to chuckle balefully.

"Aww, not cool, guys! You know this leek means everything to me!" said a highly-worried Lou.

"Well then, you'll start playing fair, right?" asked Andrew.

"Yes... I'll play fair..." replied Lou.

"You should keep your word, Lou. If someone didn't play fair then it would totally ruin the fun for everybody," educated Susanshi.

"Oh, penguin thing, we haven't seen you around these parts. You new here?" wondered Jim.

"Well...yes, I am," replied Susanshi.

"She's here to join the EA," said Leo.

"Oh, that sounds cool. I've been thinking about becoming an Explorer when I grow up," said Jim. "Like maybe when I evolve into a Mr. Mime. I'd love to join now, but it seems the rules won't let me."

"Yeah, Master Eag has ruled out that you must be thirteen years old at least to join the EA," said Leo.

"Oh man, four years is such a long wait!" said Jim.

"Heh, I'm sure you'll make a great Explorer if you put your mind to it," said Leo with a smile.

"Yeah, unlike some," grunted Tokot.

"Heard that one," Leo said in response. "Well, you four run along now. We have some business to attend to."

"Of course. You're Explorers, so you're always busy, right? We'll let you go now. And...sorry for the trouble," said Lou.

"Hey, no biggie," replied Leo. "OK, farewell for now."

The young foursome all then ran away together.

"Remember, play fair, or leek goes bye-bye!" reminded Andrew as they ran.

"I promise, OK?!" replied Lou. "So, what will we play next?"

"How about truth-or-dare?" suggested Donnie.

"Yes! It's on!" cheered Lou.

As the youngsters left, Leo watched them with a look at satisfaction.

"They make friends, they play together, they even cause mischief... So much like human children," commented Susanshi. "I could learn so much from even them."

"Makes you think that maybe you were sent here for more than one reason," said Leo.

"Maybe, but I doubt it," said Susanshi.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Enough chitchat, we've got a delivery to make!" announced Tokot.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot! We should go now!" realized Leo.

With that, the trio headed further into the town.

Susanshi was staring all around her surroundings as she, Leo and Tokot were marching. She became more and more amazed as she saw more and more of the buildings that lined the left and right sides of the street.

"This place just gets better and better," she commented.

"Yep, Sacreca Town has practically everything you could want," said Leo. "The number one tourist attraction of Sacreca! A large array of shops, a gymnasium, library, theatre, game area and a café, of course. Not to mention the many residents. It's also where I live. Where we were with the fountain is Central Plaza. The street on its left is West Street. This is East Street."

"What about that empty street north from the plaza?"

"An expansion to the town's supposed to happen there sometime in the future. It'll be North Street."

They soon came to a moderately sized construction on the left side of the street. An inviting, wooden sign above the opened entrance stated "Primate Café" in bold lettering, followed by "All welcome!" in smaller letters directly below.

"Here we are," said Leo. "The Primate Café. Café by day, restaurant by night."

"Sounds pretty versatile," remarked Susanshi.

"It is," replied Leo.

The trio walked straight into the café. Within were multiple circular tables dotted about with several chairs, all made of wood. To the left was a counter with slightly taller chairs than the others in front of it. In the back of the café was a raised section, most likely to act as a stage of sorts. A Pokémon could be seen sat alone at one of the tables. It was brown in color with a pale face, pointy nose and a large, single leaf on its head. It was a Nuzleaf. It was drinking a fresh glass of white fluid, most likely milk. The Nuzleaf was mumbling to itself about something. Leo looked all around, as if looking for a particular thing.

"Um... Hello? Foliar? Flare? Flow? Are you here?!" he called out.

"Hey, not so loud over there! I'm trying to think over here!" snapped the Nuzleaf.

"Oh, sorry," said Leo. "Oh man, I sure hope they're here.

"Who, exactly?" wondered Susanshi.

"Foliar, Flare and Flow. They're the owners of this café. They're the ones who sent us off into the woods to fetch the Berries in the first place. They need them, as they're ingredients for certain recipes served here," explained Leo.

"Oh no, we've not left," uttered a voice from somewhere. Three monkey-like Pokémon, one green, one red and one blue, then appeared seemingly from behind the counter.

"Ah, the young Explorers have returned! Did you find the Berries?" asked the red monkey, a Simisear.

"We were just downstairs in the storage room," said the blue one monkey, known as a Simipour.

"Oh yes, we were able to get the Berries that you asked for," confirmed Leo as he approached the counter.

"These three run this place?" wondered Susanshi.

"That's us!" replied the Simisage, the green monkey. "I'm Foliar. It's a pleasure to meet you! The hot-headed one is my bro, Flare."

"Yeah, how you doing?" greeted Flare the Simisear.

"And this lass is our li'l sis, Flow!" continued Foliar.

"It's a pleasure," said the Simipour quietly.

"So you say you've gotten the Berries? Please, do show us," requested Foliar.

"Yeah, here you go," said Leo, before reaching into his bag and taking out the harvested Berries, several at a time, and placing them onto the counter.

"Ah! Fantastico! That's all of them! You did well!" said an excited Foliar. "Flare! take these Berries down into storage right away!"

"Certainly!" obliged Flare.

He then proceeded to open a trapdoor in the wooden floor behind the counter, leading to some stairs going down into the café basement. With the trapdoor wide open, Flare took hold of all the Berries, carrying them all at once in his arms, then finally making his way down the stairs.

"You young'ins did it! We're so happy! Tonight, we'll serve our Thursday special: Cheri Pie! It'll be most brilliant!" cheered Foliar.

He was left lost within his own excitement until Tokot insolently cleared his throat.

"Ah yes, of course! I should thank you for your efforts!" realized Foliar.

Tokot then put on an optimistic smile in anticipation.

"Yes, you should be rewarded! That goes for your new friend, too!" continued Foliar.

"Yes, yes! Bring on the riches!" exclaimed Tokot in his mind as his body began to tense in eagerness.

Foliar then proceeded to open up a small machine, a cash register, lying on the counter to his right. The register emitted a ding sound as a drawer full of currency coins and notes popped out the bottom of it. Foliar took three golden coins, from it, each with the number "100" engraved into them, pushed the drawer back into the register, walked out from behind the counter through a gap in the far left and approached Leo, Tokot and Susanshi. He handed them each one of the coins. Tokot held his coin in front of his face and glared into it with dissatisfaction. It was shining back at him, as if it was trying to allure him, but to no success.

"There we go. Don't spend it all in one place!" said Folio as he smiled.

"A hundred PokéDollars?! That's it?!" questioned Tokot in disgust.

"Oh, well... It's a little less than I expected," said Leo in very slight disappointment.

"What? It's not good enough for you?" wondered Foliar.

"Um.. N-n-no. It's fine. Really, it is," replied Leo, with a tone evident that he didn't want to offend.

"Hell no!" snapped Tokot. "I wouldn't even be able to afford two of those Berries I had to get for you!"

"Shut up, Tokot," whispered Leo into Tokot's direction.

"You don't like your reward?! Very well then!" said Foliar.

He was then quick to snatch the coin back from Tokot.

"Dammit!" he spluttered.

"You've deserved that! You should watch that mouth of yours! You could learn a lot from these two!" commented Foliar. "Unlike you, they've truly deserved it!"

"But...but...!" stuttered Tokot.

"No buts! If you really want it back then you'd better improve your manners! You should be thankful for getting anything from the money we make!" stated Foliar.

"Pfft. One hundred PokéDollars won't even do for me! Thanks for wasting my time!" said Tokot rudely.

At that moment, Flare had finally returned from the basement.

"Hey, what's with all the shouting up here?" he questioned.

"The flaming tail didn't like his reward, so I'm teaching him the importance of manners!" replied Foliar.

"Yeah... Be a little nicer," uttered Flow.

Then, the Nuzleaf approached the counter with a now-empty glass.

"Ah, José. You've calmed yourself yet?" asked Foliar.

"A little. Thanks again for the Moomoo Milk. I'm off now," replied the Nuzleaf.

"OK, you take care now," wished Foliar.

With that, the Nuzleaf left the building.

"I feel so cheated!" snapped Tokot. "You'd think I'd get decent pay, but noooooooo! That money was for my family! Do you not understand that?! Joining the EA was all just a last-stand attempt, and yet I get a mere hundred PokéDollars! I was expecting riches for a good job! Riches!"

"Um... Are you OK?" wondered Susanshi.

Tokot simply ignored her and continued his rant.

"All my life we've been struggling to live! Me, my mom, my dad, my kid sister! We just want to live like a normal family for once! Why isn't it working?!"

Foliar, Flare and Flow were simply staring at Tokot with blank expressions.

"Um... Heh, I apologize for this," said Leo with a nervous smile. "We'd um...better get going. Thanks for the money. OK, Tokot. Let's go."

He then proceeded to drag Tokot by the arm, taking him out of the café while he carried on with his outburst as Susanshi quietly followed.

"I've lived too long with bad luck! I was recommended by someone to join the EA to help us out of poverty! Recommended! That guy was a retired Explorer! Would a retired Explorer really lie to me?! Would he? WOULD HE?!"

"He'll calm down, right?" wondered Susanshi to Leo.

"Um...eventually," replied Leo with little confidence.

The trio were now back outside.

"I joined the EA for big money! And what happens?! One hundred PokéDollars!" Tokot yelled. "Ahhh! I'm so angry, I could just...!"

All the other Pokémon, who were simply minding their own business, all stood still and directed their attention to Tokot.

"T-Tokot, I think you should settle down now. You're creating a scene," said Leo.

Then, with a loud roar and out of the blue, Tokot blasted a stream of scorching fire from his mouth in rage, flying over Leo's head, missing him by inches. The pedestrians all stood silent and watching as Leo pointed his eyes upwards to see his topmost tuft was left with an ember on it.

"Ah! Hot hot hot!" he muttered as he tapped his hands onto the ember to put it out before it could do any damage.

He gave off a sigh of relief once the flame was gone.

Susanshi had remained still, feeling the awkwardness being produced by the situation. With his rage unleashed through the flames, Tokot finally calmed down.

"Sooooo... Feeling any better?" wondered Leo.

"I'm...disappointed," replied Tokot as he took in deep breaths.

"Don't worry. The more work you do, the better the rewards," claimed Leo.

"You sure?"

"Sure."

Tokot was then quick to notice the pedestrians still staring at him. His briefly-calm manner quickly reverted back to his hot-headed self.

"Hey, what are you looking at?!" he snapped.

The bystanders finally returned to their own business.

"Ugh, that guy needs anger management," one such bystander commented.

"Has he always been this way?" wondered Susanshi.

"Yeah, pretty much," replied Leo. "Well then, Susanshi, would you mind if I took you to see someone before we do anything else?"

"Oh, not at all," responded Susanshi. "Who are we going to see?"

"My mother," replied Leo.

"Oh, then of course I'd like to meet her. Where does she live?"

"Not far. Come with me."

Leo then began to lead Susanshi and Tokot into the continuing direction of the path.

"Hey! You can let go now!" called Tokot.

Leo had completely forgotten that he was still holding onto Tokot's arm and dragging him with him wherever he went.

"Huh? Oh, sorry."

As the trio trekked through town, Susanshi and Leo were conversing once more.

"So, how did Pokémon even come to live in this place?" asked Susanshi.

"Oh? I thought you'd never ask. But anyway, there are many tales surrounding Sacreca's past. It is said that a civilization that lived over a thousand years ago founded the land," explained Leo.

"Really? What was this civilization like?"

"I myself don't fully know the details, but I believe there were all super powerful and such."

"Sounds really interesting."

"Indeed. I'd love to know more about them. I should look for info at the library one day. But I can do that any time. For now, our focus is to uncover the mystery surrounding your situation."

"Yeah, the sooner the better."

Susanshi was still unable to remove her curious eyesight off her surroundings as she made her way through the town. Her entire attention was drawn to her right, making her unaware of what was going on elsewhere. Suddenly, she bumped into somebody that she failed to see.

"W-whoa! Please excuse me," she pleaded as she turned to face whoever she had crossed paths with.

She discovered that the one was a figure twice her own size standing before her. A turtle-like Pokémon with a night-sky blue face, large fluffy tail and ears stood looming unnervingly over her. It was wearing a large brown coat lacking pockets, made of thick polyester fibers, that concealed his entire body by way of four large buttons sown onto the front, followed by overly long sleeves that hid the arms, a long collar which stuck up, obstructing the sides of his head. Leo stood looking nervous at the ominous figure, which was a Wortortle.

"Ah! J-Jon! P-please excuse us," he trembled.

"Yeah, sure. You'd better watch where you're going," said the Wortortle with a tone lacking in interest and enthusiasm. "So it's you kids again. I see you've found a new friend. Well, I believe you should teach her to keep her eyes forward."

"I-I'm sorry, Jon. J-just don't...hurt us," shivered Leo.

"Hmph. I don't have time for this. I'm going home," snuffed Jon.

He then began to walk away, simple as that.

"What's his problem?" questioned Susanshi.

"That's Jon. He's rather grumpy. He spends most of his time at home and always wears that coat whenever he goes outside. There's always something so...unsettling about him," described Leo.

"He's just a creep," commented Tokot.

"You're telling me, Leo," agreed Susanshi.

She was left staring long and hard at Jon's back as he got further and further away. She was filled with a sense of uncertain apprehension at his very essence.

"Um... We should just keep going," decided Leo.

"Yeah, good idea," responded Susanshi.

After finally being able to put her meeting with Jon behind her, Susanshi carried on with her escort by Leo and Tokot. It wasn't long until they came to a particular cosy-looking cottage situated within a state-like area of the town filled with multiple other cottages, all sporting the same basic straw-made roofs and wooden structure. They were all neatly placed side-by-side on both sides of the path. This cottage in particular that the trio were stood in front of featured a welcoming doormat in front of a simple wooden door.

"Well, here we are, Susanshi," said Leo.

"Wow, these houses look very...inviting," commented Susanshi.

"Yep, they're even better inside," said Leo. "Come in."

He proceeded to open the door and step inside. Tokot and Susanshi followed him inside. Within was a set of furniture completely made of wood, mainly a large round table in the middle of the circular room, surrounded by a set of four stools. In the back of the room was a pair of double beds, the bases facing each other, followed by a ladder in between them leading to a platform with another bed on top. At the side of the room was a green-and-yellow frog-like Pokémon with its back turned. It was standing before a small sink fitted into a wooden counter. The frog Pokémon was washing dishes in the soapy water-filled sink.

"Hey Grenouille, I'm home," greeted Leo.

The frog Pokémon almost instantly turned around, revealing itself to be wearing a white apron.

"Ah, welcome back, Leo. Were you able to get those Berries?" it asked.

"Yep, this first mission was a success!" confirmed Leo.

"Wait, your mother's a Politoed?" questioned Susanshi.

"Foster mother, to be precise," corrected Leo.

"Ah, please excuse me," apologized Susanshi.

"Ah, here we go," sighed Tokot. "Yo, Susanshi, you should be a little more careful about what you say to Leo."

"Huh? What do you mean?" wondered Susanshi.

Tokot looked as if he was thinking about something to himself briefly for a few moments.

"I'll tell you outside," he then said.

"Um...OK. Give us a moment, Leo," said Susanshi as she let herself be led back outside by Tokot.

Once back outside, Tokot closed the door to the house, stood close to Susanshi and began to whisper:

"OK, so that whole thing about Leo being fostered? He told me last week when we were first partnered up, and well, I might not like him that much, but even I know I shouldn't try to upset him. OK, so here's the thing. Years ago his mother fell ill and eventually died. Then, his father just...well...went missing."

"Just like that?" questioned Susanshi.

"Yeah, just like that. It must really suck, not having a family. In a way he's...less lucky than me. Even I can't deny that it's pretty tragic."

"Oh, that's...so unfortunate. My deepest condolences to him."

"Yeah. Well, enough of that. Let's go back inside."

They did just that to see Leo and Grenouille, the Politoed, waiting patiently for them to return. They had not spoken since Susanshi and Tokot left.

"Well then, that's done with," said Tokot, trying not to hint out what was being discussed outside.

"What was that all about?" wondered Leo.

"It's nothing," Tokot was quick to say.

"Well, whatever then. So yeah, this is Grenouille, a...family friend. It's been, like, eight years since she took me in to raise me once that...thing happened," said Leo.

"Oh, if you don't want to tell us about it then it's fine, whatever it may be" said Susanshi.

"Shush, don't make him turn on the waterworks," whispered Tokot to Susanshi.

"Well anyway, I'm Susanshi, and I'm a new friend of Leo's," greeted Susanshi.

"Oh, I see. Well, any friend of Leo's is always welcome here," said Grenouille. So anyway, do tell me a little about yourself, Susanshi."

"Well, Leo and Tokot met me out on the meadow, and I'm actually a...hoping to become an Explorer. Yes, I've, uh, always wanted to join the EA, so Leo and Tokot here are going to see what they can do for me."

"Oh, that's lovely," said Grenouille. "And where did you come from to pursue this ambition?"

"Oh... Somewhere far away. Some piece of land off the east shore of Sacreca or something."

"Hmmm... Odd, I don't remember there being a piece of land off the east coast of Sacreca. In fact, there isn't an east shore."

Leo began to feel scared.

"Oh? Did I say east coast? I um...meant reeeeeally far away. Another land, as a matter of fact," said Susanshi.

"I see, so you're not from around here. Well, I do hope you enjoy your time in Sacreca," wished Grenouille.

Leo followed with a big sigh of relief.

"Oh, something wrong, Leo?" wonder Grenouille.

"Oh, n-not at all. I'm just a little...tense...about being an Explorer. Yes, that's it!" he said with a jumpy tone.

"I'm sure you'll do fine. Baby steps first, OK?" said Grenouille

"O-of course, Grenouille. Baby steps first, heh. I um...think we should get going," said Leo, still nervous.

He began to make his way out of the house.

"Wait a second!" called out Grenouille, causing Leo to fall over forward mid-run. "If your new friend is to became an Explorer, then she's going to most certainly want an accessory."

"Ah, of course. I almost forgot!" said Leo, his voice muffled as the result of his face being flat down on the floor.

Quickly, he got back up and turned around to face Grenouille.

"Thanks for reminding me. OK, we're going now. Bye-bye!"

After saying all that in a rush, he bolted out the house.

"Whoa, don't go ditching us, Leo! Wait for us, dammit!" shouted Tokot as he went after him.

"Um... It was nice meeting you, ma'am, but I'd better go back to Leo. See you again," said Susanshi, before running after Leo and Tokot, closing the door behind her.

Grenouille simply stood in a confused state throughout the whole thing.

"Hmm... How strange..." she said to herself.

Meanwhile, back outside:

"Oh, my goodness! That was scary!" exclaimed Leo shortly after, Susanshi and Tokot back by his side.

"Wasn't it kind of rude to run off like that?" questioned Susanshi.

"Look, I get nervous very easily!" said Leo. "And besides, I'd rather not have people learn the truth about you so soon. You get what I mean?"

"O...OK. And that's why you became an Explorer in the first place, isn't it? To try to toughen up and not be as scared with things?" said Susanshi.

"Ugh, it's gonna be hard," groaned Leo. "But I won't give up! Well...not yet."

"Did Gren...something mention something about getting some accessory thing for me?" recalled Susanshi.

"Yes, that's where we're headed right now. It's pretty much a rule that all Explorers must wear at least one accessory. It's a sort of unique form of identity. For example, I have this scarf, and Tokot has his headband. So now we're going to the accessory shop to pick something out for you," detailed Leo.

"Unique identity, huh? Sounds rather interesting," commented Susanshi. "Oh, and I almost forgot I had this. Can I put this in your bag, Leo?"

She was referring to the coin she had received earlier.

"Oh, of course," offered Leo.

"Susanshi opened up the bag and placed the coin within. With that done, the group moved out again.

After they had walked for another three minutes, they reached a moderately-sized building, one that stood out among the others of the town. The exterior was brightly decorated with vivid colors painted onto the wood structure, followed by a sign nailed above the doorway saying "Kex's Store".

"Here's where we can buy accessories," said Leo.

"Really? Well, at least a place like this is easy to spot," said Susanshi. "Well, let's go in and see what we can find."

Upon stepping in, they were greeted with the sight of multiple scarves, headbands, bandanas and the like of many different colors, shapes and sizes hanging from wooden pegs on the walls. In the back was a wooden counter with a cash register sat on it. Behind the counter was a Kecleon, a green chameleon-like Pokémon with a curly tail, yellow markings all around the face and a redish-purple zigzag pattern across its belly. The Kecleon looked mellow and cheerful, as if he was about to jump out from behind his counter to greet and assist the trio.

"Hey, I remember you two! Yes, you came into my fine shop last week!" he said. "Do tell, if you don't mind me asking, how's your first week at the EA?"

"Oh, it's been pretty good so far, Kex," replied Leo. "It's been off to a slow start, but still good."

"Pfft, says you," snuffed Tokot.

"Anyway, we've come to pick out something for our new friend, Susanshi," said Leo.

"Ah, a new Explorer wannabe! Please, take your time. Pick something you'd like," insisted Kex as he jumped out from behind the counter and walked up to Susanshi. "How about checking out some of our sample mannequins here?"

He pointed over to the side of the store, where a bunch of black plastic mannequins were lined up, depicting various Pokémon sampling different accessories. Susanshi walked over to the mannequins and inspected them. From left to right, they were a Treecko donned in a blue bandana, a Snivy wearing a yellow scarf, a Tepig sporting a thick green headband, a Squirtle with an orange armband around the right arm, and finally a Pikachu in a red bandana.

"Of course there'd be a Pikachu..." Susanshi commented.

"What was that, Susanshi?" wondered Leo.

"Oh, just speaking my mind," replied Susanshi.

She then proceeded to scan over the accessories that were hung up on the walls.

"Oh, well there are so many choices. I...I don't know what would be perfect..."

"Anything will do, Susanshi. Just pick something already!" said an impatient Tokot.

"OK, OK! Don't lose your tail flame!" snapped Susanshi.

"Oh hohoho, you sure got told, Tokot!" said a smug Leo.

"Shut it," responded Tokot.

Susanshi took her time, choosing the one piece of gear that would be most suitable for her. After much careful thinking, she made her decision.

"Hmmmmm... I'll pick...that one!" decided Susanshi.

She was pointing at an ivory-white armband hanging high up.

"Ah, excellent choice, young lady! That white armband will really look good on your flipper," commented Kex.

He then stuck out his long, thin tongue and used it to hook the high-up armband, brought it down, then finally held it in front of Susanshi's face.

"That'll be five hundred PokéDollars, please," he said, his words distorted as a result of his tongue hanging out.

"Oh, um... Are you sure I can take it now?" questioned Susanshi in uncertainty.

"Of course! It's not like I have germs," replied Kex. "Now come right this way and you can try it on!"

He led Susanshi over to a large oval-shaped mirror stood at the side of the counter.

"Hey, let me put it on," insisted Leo as he made his way over to the mirror, before grabbing hold of the armband and walking up to Susanshi.

He started to wrap the armband around Susanshi's left flipper as she flinched and shut her eyes in slight disgust. Leo tightly knotted the armband into place.

"There, how is it?" asked Leo.

Susanshi opened her eyes and stared down at the armband on her left flipper. She then turned her attention to her reflection in the mirror before her. She raised her flipper into the air while still looking into the mirror. An indescribable sense came to her. It could only be best described as a feeling of excitement, mixed in with pride.

"Oh wow, it's actually really nice," she said.

"See? It's not so bad! No germs or anything!" said Leo.

"Y-yeah, I guess so, heh," muttered Susanshi.

"Right, let me just pay for it and we can finally go to the EA," said Leo as he reached into his bag and took out several gold coins and handed them all to Kex.

"Thank you kindly," said Kex in gratitude.

"What?! You had that money all along?!" questioned Tokot.

"Of course. Grenouille gave it to me," replied Leo.

"Why, of all the.." said Tokot before being interrupted by Susanshi:

"Save your energy, Tokot. You already snapped today."

"Hmph! Fine..."

"Yeah, we should get going now, Kex. Thanks again for the armband," said Leo. "Now Susanshi is all ready to make her application for the EA!"

"It's always my pleasure to serve anyone who comes into my shop," said Kex. "I wish you and your new friend the best of luck. Take care now!"

Kex waved farewell as Leo, Susanshi and Tokot exited the store and headed back outside.

"Right, we're finally ready to return to the EA!" announced Leo.

"Finally! I've waited too long for this!" stated Tokot.

The trio began to make their way further down the town pathway towards the far right side of the area. As usual, Susanshi began to think to herself in her head:

"Wow, I'm actually one step closer to becoming an Explorer. I actually feel pretty excited for this. Sure, I'm far away from home, but just the whole idea of this... It's actually quite thrilling..."


	4. The First Steps of an Explorer

Chapter 4 - First Steps of an Explorer

The trio had soon reached an area within the eastern outskirts of Sacreca Town. There stood a building bigger than any other seen in the land through Susanshi's own eyes as a Piplup. The construction was built entirely from three stories worth of bricks, making it stand out greatly from the rest of the town. The whole front section was covered in rich, green grass and multiple rows of flowers lining the path which led up to the entrance to the building. The entire perimeter of the area was surrounded by tightly-bunched conifer trees. In the very center of the area was a round, stone fountain, much like the one from earlier, but with crystal-clear water running down from the mouth of a statue of an eagle-like creature in the middle, with benches once again situated around it. Throughout the area were scores of varying Pokémon, each one sporting an eye-catching accessory of their own. They were all merely getting on with their own business; walking about, chatting to each other, a few holding hands and some others heading through the wide-open metallic doors leading to and from the building interior.

"Well, Susanshi, here we are," said Leo.

"Oh my word, this is...amazing!" exclaimed Susanshi. "It almost looks like a college or something!"

"It acts as our headquarters, as well as our home during the five years we stay to learn the ways of the Explorer," Leo explained. "Once those five years are over, teams can graduate and become independent. That's how things work around here. Now then, we need to find Alenia so you can fill out your application form, as well as update our own to include you into our team."

"F-five years?! That's an awfully long time, don't you think?!" spluttered Susanshi.

"Um...not exactly. You'll just be tied to the EA for that time," informed Leo.

"Sure hope I don't have to spend that whole time like this..." Susanshi mumbled.

"OK, Susanshi. You'd better stick with me. You wouldn't want to get lost in the EA," said Leo.

"Let me guess, it's bigger on the inside than the outside?" wondered Susanshi.

"Well, some people say that," replied Leo. "Come on, let's go find Alenia."

He then led Susanshi and Tokot across the front grounds and through the doors leading inside.

The first thing that came to view inside the walls of the EA was a wide corridor stretching towards the left and right directions, covered in a wine-red carpet. The walls were all coated with a white paint, as basic as the color gets. At the back of the corridor were a bunch of wood doors, all closed, leading to unknown areas. Down to the far left of the corridor was a flight of stairs leading up to an upper floor. To the right was a set of closed double doors. More Pokémon were dotted around the area.

"It's just as impressive inside as out," remarked Susanshi.

"I guess so, but your kind could do better, right?" asked Leo.

"Well, as long as we aren't feeling lazy," said Susanshi "Some of the builders from my world can be pretty...unmotivated."

At that moment, a Jigglypuff, a round, pink Pokémon with large green eyes and a huge red bow attached to the back of the head drew close. In its hands were a bunch of papers slips.

"Welcome to the EA. Please take a pamphlet," it said, handing one of the papers to Susanshi. "It shall give you all the information you'll need."

"Oh, um...thanks," uttered Susanshi.

The Jigglypuff was about to hand Tokot and Leo a pamphlet each until Leo stopped her:

"It's OK, Pammy. We've been here before. Remember?"

"Ah yes, of course. Pardon me," said Pammy, before walking away.

"Huh, well that was...blunt," said Susanshi.

"That's just Pammy. It's her job to hand these pamphlets to all who walk into the EA building," said Leo. "In fact, you should probably read it. It explains stuff a lot better than I could."

"Hmm, OK then..." muttered Susanshi as she took her eyesight downward at the pamphlet, which was folded in two.

The words on the front were started with "Welcome to the Explorers' Academy" in large red lettering with the same four-pointed star symbol seen on Leo's bag behind it, along with an image of a Sentret and Chimchar standing shoulder-to-shoulder with expressions exhibiting convincing pride, all while clutching a badge bearing the exact same symbol from previously each, holding it high into the air. Finally, there were smaller letters beneath reading:

"The EA, founded over 200 years ago, is the pride of present-day Sacreca. Run by Master Eag VI, the EA is open to all those hoping to become the greatest Explorers possible. We hope you will enjoy your visit to the EA and hope even more that you will consider the great opportunity of joining us. Joining us is completely free! Together, we can do great things for our land. Let's all make His Greatness proud! Please consult Alenia if you wish to join."

"His Greatness...?" wondered Susanshi to herself, all while turning the pamphlet over to see more text on the back:

"Terms and conditions: All applicants must be at the age of 13 minimal to be eligible to join. All EA members must be part of a team of at least 2 members and no more than 4. If a member has no team, then they will be refused most Explorer activity until a suitable team is formed. All members must be equipped with a distinguishing accessory, which can be bought from Kex's Store in Sacreca Town, or homemade. Master Eag and all EA staff do NOT accept responsibility for any injuries or fatalities caused during the activity of members outside the EA premises. It is the full responsibility of Explorers to ensure their own welfare and safety. By joining the EA, you will be bind by contract, meaning you cannot, by normal means, leave the EA until your 5-year course is complete. Members may only retire from the EA, either temporarily or permanently, for medical, mental or parental reasons. Limited dormitory accommodation is available at the EA building for those who have nowhere to sleep at nighttime, found on the third floor."

"Oh dear, they make it sound both fun and dangerous at the same time..." sighed Susanshi.

She then proceeded to open up the pamphlet, revealing a detailed map of the EA premises. She had only taken a two-second look at it before Tokot snatched the whole pamphlet from her.

"Hmph, enough of the generic information desk on paper," he said.

He grabbed hold of his tail with his free hand, holding it in front of him, and began to burn at the pamphlet with his tail flame. The flames that past onto the paper navigated their way through it, burning it into ash that fell to the ground as it traveled further up.

"There was no need for that, Tokot..." said Susanshi.

"What are you doing, Tokot?! She might need that!" said Leo.

"She won't be needing it! It's nothing!" replied Tokot.

Without even thinking, Leo quickly snatched the burning pamphlet from Tokot.

"There, y-you still want it, Susanshi?" asked Leo as he tried to hand it back to her.

"Oh, uh... No use now, Leo. But I'm sure I can learn my way around anyway," responded Susanshi.

"Oh, well, this was a waste of ti- Wait... I'm holding a piece of burning paper..." realized Leo.

He began to panic.

"Ah! Put it out! Put it out! Susanshi! Use your Bubble Beam! Hurry!"

His hysteria intensified as the flames reached higher up, getting closer to his fingers.

"I-I can't drop it, or the carpet will burn as well!"

"OK, OK! Calm down! I'll put the fire out! Just try to stay still!" said Susanshi.

She began to ready a Bubble Beam attack to extinguish the fires, but all that came out of her mouth was a single bubble, popping almost instantly.

"Uh oh! Um...I'll try again!" she said, before giving Bubble Beam another attempt.

Once again, just one useless bubble was produced. Susanshi was left in shock and disbelief.

"Hey, Susanshi! You pulled it off earlier! Surely you can do it again! Hurry up, before this whole place goes up in flames!" shouted Tokot.

"Why are you acting like this isn't your fault? You're the one who started this mess!" snapped Susanshi.

"OK, so I did, but there's no time to point fingers! Just get on with it!"

"I-I tried!"

"Then keep trying!"

Everybody else within the vicinity stood staring as Susanshi repeatedly attempted, failing each time, to produce a Bubble Beam. Leo stood in a cold sweat as the fires drew ever so closer to his fingers, and Tokot merely stood with a look of patience-lacking anger.

"C-could somebody call for the fire brigade?!" demanded Leo, no hope left within himself.

Then, as if out of nowhere, a figure from within the crowd of spectators daringly came dashing towards Leo, grabbing the paper from him, throwing it into the air, then finally firing a strong blue flame-like power up at it from its mouth, putting out the fires and shredding the pamphlet into hundreds of harmless specks that floated down to the ground. The trio was left to be given a moment to take a breather, now that the crisis was over.

"Oh man, I was dreading the worst!" said a hugely relieved Leo.

"But...who was that?" wondered Susanshi.

She, Leo and Tokot and turned to the side to discover the one responsible; a greyish-green Pokémon standing on two small feet, with a stubby tail, short arms, a pale-pink scarf around the neck covering a green collar-like feature, a set of small-yet-sharp tusks sticking out from either side of the mouth, large, vivid, light-blue feminine eyes with three long eyelashes on each, tiny nostrils and a large horn-like protrusion at the back of the head. One final distinguishing feature on this Pokémon, known as an Axew, was a marking on its left hip, just above the leg. It appeared to have been painted or tattooed on, and was of a black face with four horns on top and two red angry-looking eyes, complete with a surrounding white outline.

"Oh! Lisa!" said Leo in surprise. "Um...thanks for getting us out of that arson attack."

"My pleasure," replied the Axew, before approaching Tokot and lightly slapping him on his face. "Tokot!

Don't you know any better? You could have endangered lives!"

"Hey, sorry, Lisa! It's just that we don't have trashcans here!" argued Tokot.

"There's one in Bevscot's office! That counts!" snapped the Axew. "Next time you should try thinking with your head, not with that tail!"

"Wait, who is this Axew?" asked Susanshi to Leo.

"That's Lisa. She's a veteran Explorer and a member of Team RockAxe," explained Leo. "She's been here for three years now, and she's one of the highest-ranked teams right now. She's highly respected around here for her services, although...the same couldn't exactly be said about her friend, Alex. He's the second and final member of Team RockAxe, but he's nothing like Lisa. Doesn't stop her, though. She thinks the world of him, despite his...quirks."

"I see, that's interesting," commented Susanshi. "I feel kind of guilty, though. I couldn't use Bubble Beam that time. Maybe I'm not used to this body after all."

"Hey, chin up! You'll get the hang of it soon! I'm certain!" said an encouraging Leo.

"...Well then, do you understand?" finished Lisa, having being negotiating with Tokot. "You want to be a successful Explorer, correct? Then don't do anything overly dangerous!"

"O-OK, Lisa," said Tokot, appearing to be sad, which is very rare for him.

"Great, now apologize to Leo," insisted Lisa.

"Oh, um..." Tokot muttered, before turning to face Leo. "Yeah... Sorry, I guess."

"Wow, Lisa. You sure showed him," said Leo. "I would never get him to say anything like that in a hundred years."

"Oh no, I'm not trying to make him feel bad, just teaching him," said Lisa. "Well then, I see you have a new friend with you. Tell me, young Piplup, what is your name?"

"I'm...Susanshi."

"Susanshi? Pleasure to meet you. I'm Lisa, leader of Team RockAxe, Lisa greeted as she stuck out her right arm towards Susanshi.

Things remained awkwardly silent.

"Oh, no need to be shy. Come on, shake my hand," insisted Lisa.

Susanshi, looking down at Lisa's hand, then her bright, smiling face, then back down at the hand, finally took hold with her own flipper, shaking it lightly up and down along with Lisa's hand, before letting go.

"There we go. Now tell me, are you by chance here to join Leo's and Tokot's team?"

"Why yes, she is," replied Leo.

"Well then, you'd better see Alenia. She should be in her office one floor up right now," said Lisa. "Oh, by the way, Leo..."

"Yes, Lisa?"

"...Why didn't you just shake the pamphlet to stop the fire? I'm sure that would've done it."

A long silence fell after that. Leo appeared to be thinking to himself about what he was just told. After seemingly coming to a realization, Leo wore a look of shear embarrassment, resulting in him lightly slapping his face with his palm. Tokot simply shook his head in response to this action.

"Wait a second. There's something on my mind," spoke out Susanshi. "While I was reading that pamphlet, um...before Tokot incinerated it, there was something I read that I can't help but be curious about. It mentioned making 'His Greatness' proud. What does that even mean?"

"Oh? So you don't know the old tales?" wondered Lisa.

"Not really. I'm...not from around here," replied Susanshi.

"His Greatness refers to Sacreca," said Lisa.

"Sacreca? But isn't that the name of this land, wherever on earth it is?"

"Of course, but it had to have gotten its name from somewhere! Sacreca was the name of a powerful deity who lived a thousand years ago. He was the powerful leader of the ancient civilization that lived here back then, known as the Wystians. He was an elegant Legendary Pokémon that produced dazzling streams of rainbows wherever he flew. He was the Legendary Pokémon we know as Ho-Oh, but he was special. His coloring was of a rich golden and silver tone."

"So...he was Shiny?" asked Susanshi, all while picturing Lisa's description in her mind.

"That's correct," confirmed Lisa. "His gift of the Shiny aspect and powerful sorcery are the stuff of legends, which to this very day are passed down over the generations. The ruins to the southeast and the tower to the north are the remnants from his time that remain in the present day. Pretty interesting, eh?"

"You tell me. A place like this is the last thing I'd ever expect to have such a deep past. No offense there," said Susanshi.

"I take it our culture is very foreign to you," said Lisa.

"Well... I come from somewhere where it isn't as inspiring as this," replied Susanshi.

Just then, somebody came rushing towards the group.

"Hey, Lisa!" it called out in a bellowing voice.

It had then stopped besides Lisa, taking slightly deep breaths. The Pokémon, a Machop, was identifiable by its grey human-like body, three brown ridges on its head and slightly muscular physique. It was also sporting a midnight-blue armband on the left arm.

"Huff...L-Lisa! Pachy is bothering Alex again!"

"What, again?!" questioned Lisa in disbelief. "OK, I'll go deal with it. Where are they?"

"Second floor."

"Right, gotcha. Thanks for telling me, Forhor," said Lisa.

Without a second's delay, she went bolting away towards the direction of the stairs leading upwards.

"Oh, should we...follow her?" wondered Susanshi.

"Might as well," replied Leo.

Susanshi, Tokot and Leo all then silently went after Lisa.

At the top of the stairs was a large rectangular room sharing the exact same color scheme as the previous room. There were multiple doors on the wall to the left from the top of the stairs. In the very center of the room was a gathering of Pokémon forming a circle around a scene of one single Pokémon being confronted by three others. The lone Pokémon, a Larvitar, was green in color with a single horn erected on top of its head with a small chip in it, followed by curly markings below each eye. There was also a red diamond shape on the Pokémon's belly, smaller diamond shapes, this time black and resembling holes, dotted onto several places on the body, and a tail appearing to look like a sort of tunnel-boring machine. The Larvitar was also donned in a bright-blue bandana around the neck, appearing to have a bump in it, as well as the same black face marking that Lisa has, only on the left side of the neck. The Pokémon's eyes appeared to be filled with worry as he stood before the three other Pokémon, one of which was a Cranidos, a dinosaur-like creature with a grey-and-blue color scheme, rock-hard head and short arms. This Cranidos was wearing a pitch-black bandana around the neck. One of the other two Pokémon, who were standing beside him, was staring directly at the Larvitar with a menacing look, as if it was trying to force pressure onto the innocent soul. This one was a Corphish, a crustacean-like being with big red-and-cream pincers and a crest of three spikes on its head. It was also wearing a tightly-tied orange headband around the forehead, just below the spiked crest. The third and final Pokémon was a Sandshrew, a yellow colored, ivory-bellied mole wearing a crimson-red bandana cap. Lisa and the others had made it to the area to see the situation unfolding.

"Pachy... Please just leave me alone..." the Larvitar said quietly with a nervous tone.

"As team leader of Team Ruff, I am not one to give up!" replied the Cranidos. "My team partners here agree with me; Lisa doesn't deserve to be partnered up with a wussy wuss such as yourself! You are weak!"

"Hee hee. Yes, boss, Alex is weak! Not worthy of Explorer!" said the Corphish.

"Boss has already made his mind up; Lisa goes with him, not you," commented the Sandshrew. "It's beyond my control."

"But Lisa won't replace me f-for anyone else," muttered the Larvitar.

"I won't give up! Isn't that what being an Explorer is all about? Not giving up?" wondered the Cranidos.

"No... It's...nothing like that," stated the Larvitar.

"Well, even if it isn't, Lisa ain't here! You're helpless!" rebelled the Cranidos.

By this point, Lisa was squeezing through the horde of spectators to get to the confrontation.

"Excuse me, pardon me, coming through," she muttered while doing so.

"So, how about it, Alex? Ready to battle? Or are you gonna chicken out again?!" exclaimed the Cranidos.

The Larvitar simply stood still in anxiousness as the Cranidos prepared to charge into him with his head down, ready to deliver a Headbutt. Suddenly:

"Pachy!" shouted Lisa as she reached the center of the crowd and stood besides the distressed Larvitar.

The Cranidos instantaneously cancelled his attack, tilted his head back up and stared at Lisa in surprise.

"Oh hi, Lisa. Uh... S-so nice to see you!" he said with a nervous grin on his face.

Lisa began to approach Pachy with a look of vexation. She stood in front of him and stared hard into his face.

"Pachy! Did you really think you could just bully Alex behind my very back and run off with me again? Where is your shame?!" she bellowed. "Alex isn't as much of a fighter as me or even you! Even you should know that! Three years, Pachy! Three years! That's how long you've been at this! I have told you enough times: I will not date you! That is my choice! Do you not understand that?! That kind of behavior can get you thrown out of the EA!"

"B-but Lisa! Alex is a weakling! Don't you ever think that maybe he doesn't deserve a friend like you?" quizzed Pachy, totally losing his cool.

"OK, so maybe Alex could be stronger, but you know he can't help himself! He's at least caring. You're just a good-for-nothing bully! You want to be an Explorer? Then show some sportsmonship!" shouted Lisa.

"Hey, no need to get your scarf in a twist! I was...was...merely helping Alex toughen up. Yes, that's it!" claimed Pachy.

"Nice try, but I won't be buying that!" said Lisa as she tapped her foot with her hands on her hips.

"Boss, um... This isn't looking so good. We should probably retreat," said the Sandshrew, clearly showing signs of worry.

"Oh no, Diego, I'm going nowhere just yet," replied Pachy. "Just give me a few more min-."

Lisa had forced him to become interrupted by pointing one of her tusks just millimeters away from his face.

"W-whoa there, Lisa! T-that looks awfully sharp," he stuttered, suddenly showing cowardice.

"Oh, it certainly is," confirmed Lisa. "Maybe you'd like to test that theory out."

Pachy, looking more scared than ever, gave in to the threat.

"I...I don't want to..." he whimpered.

"Then get out of here!" ordered Lisa.

Without a single word, Pachy pathetically trudged, taking his cronies with him.

"OK, everyone. Get going. Nothing left to see" said Lisa to everybody who had been watching the situation.

"Hey boos, what will you do now?" asked the Corphish.

"Isn't it obvious, Ed? Not give up, of course! Lisa WILL be mine again!" replied Pachy.

"Yes, but boss, don't you think it's time to maybe...you know...stop?" asked the Sandshrew.

"Hell no, Diego! I'm a true Explorer, unlike that dirt-muncher that she chose over me!" said Pachy. "I need to get her to understand that!"

"Well, I get that, but you've tried 24 times now over the last three years. In fact, you've cared more about winning back Lisa than actual Explorer activity," commented Diego.

"And why exactly are you keeping count of my failures?"

"No reason really, boss."

"Meh, whatever. Either way, me and her are perfect! We can fight fearlessly! She'll be a valuable member of Team Ruff! She's both my biggest target and obstacle in that regard."

"Yes, but surely you of all people would know that this is a battle of the sexes that you can't win!"

"Still that tongue of yours, Ed!" ordered Pachy, before thrusting his right arm into the air as he and his team approached the stairs leading downstairs and shouting: "I will win!"

The silence was left to settle as Lisa, Susanshi, Tokot and Leo all watched the Team Ruff members leave. Lisa turned around to face Alex, who was stood with his back turned.

"Are you OK, Alex?" she asked him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," replied Alex as he turned to face Lisa. "They weren't able to...lay a finger on me this time."

"That's a relief," said Lisa. "Anyway, Alex, you remember Tokot and Leo, right? They've found themselves a new partner: this Piplup named Susanshi. Go say hi!"

Alex was slightly hesitant in approaching Susanshi and standing before her.

"Oh, um... H-hi, I'm Alex," he greeted.

He was speaking in a fairly monotonic voice and was choosing not to make direct eye contact.

"Oh, please don't mind Alex, by the way. He's a little sensitive and not the best at talking," said Lisa.

"I see. Well, it's good to meet you, Alex. I'm Susanshi. I've...heard about you from Lisa," said Susanshi. "Oh hey, I see you have that same tattoo thing as Lisa. Looks pretty good on you."

"Yeah, I like it, too," said Alex. "It's a sort of...symbol of...affiliation."

"Affiliation?" quizzed Susanshi.

"It's a long story, and you want to sort your EA application out, so I'll tell you when the time is right," said Lisa.

"Oh, that's fine then," said Susanshi. "But what's the deal with those guys before?"

"Team Ruff? They're just this bunch of low Explorers. You see, I used to date Pachy in the past, but he's nothing but a foolish jerk who only cares for himself, so I dumped him. Now he's all bitter about it and won't stop trying to get me to go out with him again," detailed Lisa. "Even to this day, he's a handful, since he just never seems to learn."

"Sounds to me like he's just plain stubborn about it," commented Susanshi.

"And he's a bully. He won't leave me alone," added Alex.

"Exactly. It's a good thing I dumped him while I had the chance. It's not worth hanging around him. His skull may be naturally thick, but that's no excuse for him to be the way he is," commented Lisa.

"Well, I've talked long enough. You'd better go see Alenia now. Go to that door behind me. That's her office. Just go inside and sort out your business, OK?"

"Ah, finally! We can now get this done!" said Tokot. "Let's go already!"

He then proceeded towards a door near the end of the room. Susanshi looked backed towards him and followed. Leo followed after.

The group had stopped in front of the door.

"This is Alenia's office," said Leo, before pushing into the door in order to head inside, keeping it open to allow Susanshi and Tokot inside.

With the group now in the room, the door slowly closed itself shut behind them. Inside was a single wooden desk in the back of the room, with a single window in the wall behind it. On the desk was a small white quill pen in an ink well and a clipboard next to it. There was nobody else present within the room.

"There's...no one here," commented Susanshi.

"Well, obviously! Alenia wouldn't just sit in her office 24:7, would she?!" said Tokot.

"Uh, we should just...wait for her to return," decided Leo.

At that moment, the door creaked open, alerting the group to turn around and see a flying bug-like Pokémon with a purple, black and blue coloration wearing thick, black-rimmed glasses. This Pokémon, known as a Illumise, stared down at the group below.

"Oh... It's that Riolu guy... Leo, was it? I take it you're here to finally finish off your team application form," she said.

Her choice of speech was slow and very unenthusiastic, even seeming a little bored.

"That's right, Miss Alenia," replied Leo. "We'd also like to sign up this Piplup to our team."

"OK then, please come over here," requested Alenia as she flew over to the desk.

She opened up one of the drawers at the right side of the desk and began searching through an assortment of paper.

"Let me just find your team application form. Please wait a moment," she said.

After several moments of paper-rustling, Alenia pulled out one such paper, flew over the desk to claim the clipboard, attached the paper to it, then grabbed hold of the quill, before finally approaching Leo and setting down on the ground in front of him.

"Ah yes, that's it," said Leo.

"Well then, Leo. Having requested this form must mean you've now decided on a name for your Exploration Team," guessed Alenia.

"That's exactly it, Miss Alenia," confirmed Leo.

"Then please write down your team name in the box at the top of the form, the one with 'Team name' next to it," instructed Alenia as she handed Leo the quill and held the clipboard backwards, so that the form was facing him.

"Oooook then! Our team name shall be...!" announced Leo, before randomly pausing. "Well, I want to become a stronger Pokémon, Tokot wants to get his family out of poverty, and Susanshi is on some super-important mission... So... This name is perfect! We our...Team Revolution!" he said with much enthusiasm, before signing the name onto the form.

"Wait... Team Revolution? That name sounds a little...odd, don't you think?" commented Susanshi.

"But think about it, it's too perfect!" said Leo. "It's a very original name, if I do say so myself. And considering our goals, it makes so much sense! Tokot, at least YOU agree with me, right?"

Tokot didn't even open his mouth to reply. Instead, he shut his eyes as he shrugged, showing indifference.

"Oh... Well...I'm sticking with it," said Leo. "And besides, it's already been written on our form, so no turning back now."

"Thank you very much," said Alenia. "But you're not done yet. We need to sign your friend up as well. OK dear, what is your name?"

"Me? I'm Susanshi."

"OK, Susanshi, I'll just put your name down on your team's application form. Um... How do you spell that?"

"S-U-S-A-N-S-H-I"

"Ah, thank you," said Alenia as she scribbled down on the form. "Age?"

"Sixteen."

"Gender?"

"...Female?"

"OK, Susanshi, I now need you to sign a contract, and you'll be one step closer to being an Explorer." Alenia said as she returned to her desk.

She removed the application form from the clipboard, placed it on top of the desk, then opened up a drawer on the left on the front of the desk and took out a single piece of paper, then finally attaching it to the clipboard and returning to Susanshi.

"Please read this contract carefully and fully, then sign on the dotted line."

She then handed her the quill and held the clipboard in front of her.

"Alright then, let's see..." muttered Susanshi as she began skimming her eyes through the words of the contract.

"By joining the Explorers' Academy you agree to blah blah blah... You must refrain from blah blah blah... Never without a yadda yadda yadda. OK, done. Now to sign it."

She reached out at the contract with the quill, her flipper slightly shaking. She laid the tip of the quill above the dotted line at the bottom of the contract and began to messily and clumsily write her name.

"Curse these non-human hands!" she thought to herself with an awkward and nervous smile.

"There," she said once she was finished.

Alenia looked at the contract to see Susanshi's shabby job of signing it.

"Huh, OK then..." she said casually. "That's the first part done. Now please go to Bevscot's office next door and request your badge."

"Very well. Come on, let's go, Susanshi," said Leo, before walking up to the door, grabbing hold of a low handle on it, pulling it open to allow Susanshi and Tokot to exit, then making his own way out with the door closing behind him.

With the trio now gone, Alenia sighed as she inserted the team application form back into the drawer where it once was, then placing the quill back into the ink well and the clipboard back onto the desk, then finally sitting down in a wooden chair located behind the desk. Things were left to remain awkwardly silent for a number of seconds. Alenia soon gave off a tired sigh.

"I hate this job," she commented. "Why did I have to be forced into this job?! Screw Master Eag!"

"Alenia!" shouted a random, shocked voice from outside the room. "Did you just diss Master Eag?!"

"No, of course not!" replied Alenia.

"Oh, OK then," said the voice.

Then, things fell silent once more.

"No really, screw him," whispered Alenia.

"You really did diss Master Eag!" shouted the voice.

"Oh, just go away!" ordered an annoyed Alenia.

Meanwhile, the trio had reached the other door in the area, on the left of Alenia's office. Leo pushed the door inwards to gain access to the room within. He, Susanshi and Tokot entered to be greeted by a room nearly identical to Alenia's office, complete with similar desk, although things were a little less basic this time; there was a trashcan to the right of the desk, a towering stack of A4 papers on the desk itself and also a quill inside an ink well, and finally a calendar hung on the right wall depicting what appeared to be a lush, green field, most likely scenery from somewhere in Sacreca. Situated on the chair behind the desk was a Monferno, a monkey-like Pokémon. His face was concealed behind a magazine of an unknown purpose that he was reading through.

"Hmm? Someone here?" asked the Monferno as he peeked over his printed entertainment, alerted by the sound of the door opening.

"Yes, Bevscot. It's us," greeted Leo.

"Oh, it's you again. What do you want this time?" asked Bevscot.

"Our friend, Susanshi, has just joined our team," replied Leo.

"Oh, so you'd want a team badge for her then?" assumed Bevscot.

"That's right," replied Susanshi.

"Alright then, I'll go get your badge," sighed Bevscot.

He put his magazine down onto the desk, still open on the page he was checking out, before getting out of his chair and heading to the front of the desk, then opening the drawer on the left side. As he started searching through the drawer, Susanshi's curiosity ended up getting the better of her.

"So...Bevscot. That is your name, right?"

"Yes it is," replied Bevscot.

"What were you reading?"

"Hmph, wouldn't you like to know."

Susanshi was left to merely raise an eyebrow. Still overcome with the urge to find out the answer to her question, she proceeded to walk over to where the magazine was. Leo quickly grabbed her by the back before she could take even one step. She turned around to see Leo quietly shaking his head at her.

"I don't think you'd want to," he said cryptically to her.

Susanshi decided to heed Leo's warning and remained still.

"Ah, here we go! I've found you a badge!" Bevscot then said.

He approached Susanshi and handed her a small badge. After doing so, he appeared to randomly return to the drawer. The badge itself was made of stainless steel and was the shape of a square with a four-pointed star in front of it. It was the exact same design seen on Leo's bag. The badge was brilliantly-polished and of a light blue color. Susanshi was entranced by its shine. She could feel an even greater feeling of pride than previously at Kex's Store. She proudly held the badge up into the air.

"Wow..." she muttered.

"Well done, Susanshi!" cheered Leo. "You are now a member of Team Revolution! That badge proves that you are now with the EA. We all get a badge just like that one!"

"This is...so cool..." Susanshi said.

"And you can also have a free copy of 'Exploration for Dummies' to help you get started," Bevscot then said as he suddenly threw a thick yellow book at Susanshi, hitting her in the head.

"Ow," she groaned as she held her head with her left flipper, holding the badge in her right flipper.

"Well done, you are now a full-fledged Explorer. Now get out of my office and enjoy your time here," said Bevscot as he returned to the back of his desk.

"Will do, Bevscot, and thanks again," said Leo. "Oh, and we're called Team Revolution now."

"Oh, nice one, kid. Now go," demanded Bevscot.

"Susanshi, keep your badge in my bag," offered Leo as he opened up his bag.

Susanshi placed her newly-acquired badge inside.

"And done. You're now ready to lose five years of your life. Enjoy," said Tokot.

"Remember; I'm only here until my mission is done," reminded Susanshi.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let's go now," said Tokot as he made his way over to the door.

He pulled on the door handle to leave Bevscot's office. He, Susanshi and Leo all left together, completely leaving behind the book offered to them as Bevscot took hold of the magazine he had set down on the desk previously.

"They didn't take the book..." he sighed to himself.

He then took his attention to the stack of paper that rested on his desk.

"...I should probably finish the rest of this paperwork... Nah, that can wait."

With Susanshi, Leo and Tokot back in the main room once again, they were quick to notice a scene happening just outside Alenia's office; Alenia was stood looking somewhat guilty as she was being confronted by a large eagle-like Pokémon, the same Pokémon that was seen outside as a statue. The Pokémon, a Braviary, was featuring colors of a brilliant navy blue and red, as well as a golden necklace of an odd symbol depicting two horn-like protrusions pointing upwards and two sickle shapes facing inwards on the bottom.

"Alenia! This job is of the highest priority! You are my secretary, and as such you are responsible for the enrollment of new Explorers!" exclaimed the serious Braviary. "Your complaints are not appreciated! If you have a problem with it, then you can leave!"

"B-but Master Eag, I won't get paid if I quit," mumbled Alenia.

"Precisely! So I suggest you keep your uncivil comments to yourself and continue your duties. Understood?"

"Understood," responded Alenia.

"Good. Now I shall leave," said the Braviary.

"What was that all about?" asked Susanshi, who was watching the situation from several feet away along with Leo and Tokot.

"That's Master Eag, the head of the EA, explained Leo. "Well, actually his name is...Wedicuss?"

"Wuodecus XIV. Woe-dee-cuss," corrected Tokot.

"Ah, that's it," said Leo. "Anyway, Master Eag is very serious and valiant, hence why he's a little upset about whatever Alenia did. His ancestor, Wuodecus IX, founded the EA around 200 years ago, if I remember."

"Sounds like quite a big deal," said Susanshi.

At that moment, Master Eag had turned around the face the trio as Alenia returned to the inside of her office. He was quick to notice the trio standing a few feet away.

"Ah, Leo and Tokot! How are you doing?" he asked. "Sorting out the rest of your application, I should hope."

"That's right, Master Eag," confirmed Leo. "We're now Team Revolution, and Susanshi here is now part of the team."

"Ah, fantastic! You're now truly ready to experience the thrills of exploration! Best of luck to the three of you. I expect great things from a team named such as you!" said Master Eag with a positive attitude. "Oh wait, I have an idea! Actually, something's come up, and it'd be perfect for you. Don't worry, it'll be easy, easy enough for newcomers like you. Listen up, Sacreca Town's supply of Water Gems is close to being depleted. If you're not busy, I'd like you all to travel to the Mining Village and collect a few Water Gems. Think you can handle that?"

"Of course we can handle it, we're Team Revolution!" cheered an overconfident Leo. "We'd be more than happy to go! Uhhhh... But...where is the Mining Village?"

"You still have that map, right?" asked Master Eag.

"Uh, oh yes, I do. Hehe, my mistake," said Leo as he stroked the back of his head.

"Moron," thought Tokot to himself.

"Good! Then allow it to navigate you there. It's located at the edge of the field, just southeast of the tower. Now, stay safe, and may His Greatness ensure your success!" encouraged Master Eag.

"Thank you, Master Eag. We shall get going right away!" said Leo.

He then turned to face Susanshi.

"Well, Susanshi, this is it. Your first proper mission! Excited?"

"Uh, I guess a little," replied Susanshi.

"Then let's get going!" cheered Leo. "Let's go, team! To the Mining Vil-"

He was cut off mid-speech after tripping and falling to the floor after taking a single step forward. He quickly stood back up and continued to make his way towards the stairs leading back down. Susanshi followed without saying anything, and Tokot followed with a sigh.

With Team Revolution now back outside the front door of the EA, Leo prepared for the journey ahead by taking out his map and having a glance at it.

"Yep, southeast of the tower, just like Master Eag said," he said. "So, we need to leave town through the north exit, then make our way towards the northeast direction through Sacreca Field. It...looks like a fair bit of a walk, so I hope you two don't mind walking."

"Oh, I'll be fine," claimed Susanshi.

"Good, then I guess we're ready," said Leo, returning the map to his bag's interior.

"Wait a second, guys!" called out a voice from somewhere.

It was Lisa, now carrying a bag very similar to Leo's over her left shoulder, running up towards them from inside the building, along with Alex.

"Lisa? What's wrong?" wondered Leo.

"We overheard you talking about going to the Mining Village," said Lisa once she got up to the trio. "You see, we were actually planning on going there ourselves. So we thought it would be a good idea to accompany you there, if you don't mind."

"I mind," said Tokot.

"Oh, well... This feels so sudden, but sure, I don't," said Leo. "Come along!" You OK with it, Susanshi?"

"I guess I am, the more the merrier," said Susanshi.

"Thanks," said Lisa. "It's just that I have some people to see over in the village. So you're going now, right?"

"Yes, right now," replied Susanshi.

"Great. So Alex, are you ready?" asked Lisa to Alex.

"Yes, I'm ready," replied Alex.

"Great, let's get going then, shall we?" said Lisa.

"Yes! Time for our first mission!" cheered Leo.

With his spirits excessively high, Leo gleefully rushed his way back into town.

"Yo, wait up, Leo! I don't plan on running all the way there!" called out Tokot as he gave chase, with Susanshi, Lisa and Alex following behind.


	5. Life in the Mines

Chapter 5 - Life at the Mines

The position of the sun in the sky indicated the time to be sometime in the afternoon at this point. Susanshi, Tokot, Leo, Alex and Lisa, having just left town through the north, were roaming across the impressive scenery of hills that appeared to stretch for several spacious miles. The whole area's life force could be felt so clearly.

"Wow, just...wow. I've never seen anything this amazing," commented Susanshi. "We certainly don't have anything like this back at home."

"Well, that's just nature for you," said Lisa.

"This is Sacreca Field. It leads to multiple areas," said Alex. "There's the jungle in the northwest, the desert and mountain regions to the east, and the tower to the north."

"The tower... Yes, I can see it," said Susanshi.

Over in the distance, a tall, thin structure was visible. Tucked away behind short cliffs, it stood roughly at an impressive three-hundred-and-fifty feet, built with large light-orange blocks. Mysterious grooves ran downwards all around the tower exterior, appearing to form possible patterns, although they looked undecipherable. At the very top of the tower, just barely visible, was a sign, the same exact symbol seen on Master Eag's necklace, with the "horns" stood at the back and the sickle-shaped protrusions below them and curving around the front. It looked as if there was no possible way to access the inside, as the tower appeared to be completely sealed off. Thus, its interior was a complete and unexplained mystery. It merely stood there, stabbing at the sky like a giant needle.

"It's the Tower of Wyste. It is believed to be built by the ancient civilization who once roamed Sacreca one thousand years ago," explained Alex.

"You sure do know a lot about this place," mentioned Susanshi.

"He likes geography; it's his big interest," noted Lisa.

"Ah, I see. Well, being a Explorer benefits that, I bet," said Susanshi.

"Yes...it does," replied Alex.

"The tower has been here for all these years, yet nobody even knows what's inside," said Lisa. "Even though the library has books about the Wystians and their times on this earth, not one of them describes why exactly the tower was built, or even what's within."

"Wait, the land's own history isn't even fully explained by its own present-day library? What gives?" questioned Susanshi.

"I haven't a clue, Susanshi. It's so weird," replied Lisa. "That's why I took it upon myself to try to uncover much more than what the history books currently tell."

"Huh, maybe people don't know everything about that era," suggested Leo.

"I guess so, but there just has to be more to it, I'm sure of it," said Lisa.

"You sure are fascinated with those...Way-stains," commented Susanshi.

"It's Why-stee-ains," corrected Lisa. "And yes, I admit that. Well, you can thank Alex for that, partially. His whole geography thing rubbed off on me a little, though it's more for the history side to it. Plus, I'm just curious to know about this land's past. I grew up in it, after all."

"As for me, I've also been curious about the tower," said Leo. I've seen it so many times from town. Just seeing it there, being all...mysterious and whatnot. But to change the topic, I sometimes come to this field, but I've never actually ventured very far. But don't worry, I won't get lost, not with this handy map!"

"That's a load of nonsense, and you know it," remarked Tokot.

"Shush, Tokot! I don't want to lose my confidence now!" shrieked Leo nervously.

"Now now, Tokot. Would you like me to teach you another lesson?" questioned Lisa.

"N-no. But why should I be afraid? You're not part of my team!" said Tokot.

"Doesn't give you the right to just go about things your own reckless way."

"Ugh, whatever."

As they continued strolling, Tokot began to examine the province. Before long, he detected something that nobody else did; a slim-built figure standing at the top of a hill a short distance away.

"Oh, what's that guy doing staring into space on his own?" wondered Tokot.

"Maybe he's lost?" suggested Leo. "Let's see what's up."

"I don't know about this. He doesn't look very...friendly," said a doubtful Susanshi.

"Susanshi's right, you can never tell apart the goodies from the baddies," agreed Lisa.

"We're Explorers! We should always help out those in need!" insisted Leo.

The gang all cautiously drew closer to the stranger, allowing his features to become more clear to the eyes. He was a Weavile, a Pokémon with a dark-blue and red coloration. His entire body was covered in a thick, steel armor with only his head and parts of his arms and legs exposed. He wore a three-pointed piece in front of his red crown-like feature with a circular symbol and dashes coming out of each diagonal point etched into it, and had a pitch-black earring on his left feather-like ear. Lastly, he was donned with an all-black cape that reached down to the back of his ankles. It was moving slightly to the right, influenced by a light breeze.

"Excuse me, mister. Do you need help?" asked Leo.

The Weavile did not turn around, instead he kept his focused stare at the distant tower. After a few quiet seconds, he reacted:

"...Guests?" he pondered to himself, before finally turning.

He took long, hard stares down at the gang, who all stared back.

"Oh, what do we have here? A group of youngsters? What are a bunch of kids like you doing here?"

His choice of voice tone was calm and dignified, yet was also unsettling.

"We're Explorers!" exclaimed a prideful Leo.

"Explorers, huh? Ah, the curious and adventurous hearts of youth. How respectful," said the Weavile.

Lisa gave the Weavile a slightly uneasy look.

"What are you doing here?" asked Leo.

"Me? I have come here to attend to some...business," replied the Weavile. "Sacreca is a land rich with ancient history. I have come here today to uncover some of those mysteries. It has been a long wait, but I have finally arrived today. Ah, but please pardon my rudeness. Allow me to introduce myself... My name is Vascious. And what would your names happen to be?"

"I'm Leo!" said Leo. "And this is Susanshi, Tokot, Lisa and Alex."

He introduced everyone by pointing at them one by one and announcing their names.

Vascious, upon hearing their names, took a moment to look at Susanshi with a neutral-yet-focused expression.

"Ah, very well then," he then said, before turning back around to inspect the tower once more. "Do you not see the tower, clawing at the vast blue sky? That is the Tower of Wyste, built a thousand years ago by the ancient Wystian tribe."

"I know that already..." said Alex quietly.

Vascious turned around to face Alex before responding.

"Well, you must be very educated. Good for you," he commented before looking back at the tower. "The Wystians were a tribe dedicated to the ways of supernatural abilities. They did not possess the natural abilities we take for granted today, but they had access to powers like psychokinesis, levitation, teleportation, and so much more. You could say they all had the attributes of Psychic-types. Their ruler, Sacreca, was the most powerful of the tribe; he was considered a god now and even today."

"So much in fact, that this land was named after him?" wondered Leo.

"Correct," confirmed Vascious. "No more Wystians exist in this present day, yet...their history remains. That is why I have come here. I wish to uncover the secrets of the tower. Learn what has been locked away inside for the past millennium! ...Oh, but please excuse me, I am creating a distraction. Allow me to let you continue with your own personal activities."

With these words, he began to pace his way away from the scene, in the direction of the town. He took a few steps before stopping.

"Oh, but one more thing... I advise you youngsters to enjoy your time as Explorers the best you can. Believe me when I say that. Now, farewell."

He resumed his walking with these parting words.

The whole group just stood staring as he got further and further away.

"That guy creeps the hell outta me," commented Tokot once Vascious was far away enough to not hear anything from behind him. "What's with all the armor? Is he preparing for war or something?"

"I can't say I've seen him before," said Lisa. "But he rubs me the wrong way too. We should be careful of someone as suspicious as him."

"Whoever he is... Him being here...has got something to do with that tower," said Leo. "But...what does he want? What are these 'Secrets of the tower'?"

"...I don't know that," responded Alex.

"Vascious..." whispered Susanshi to herself.

"Susanshi? Is something wrong?" asked Leo.

"No, nothing's wrong," replied Susanshi. "But Lisa's right, we should take care if that guy turns out to be a bad apple. But whatever his intentions are, we can't let it bother us now. We should carry on making our way to the village."

"Yeah, good idea," agreed Leo.

With that, the group continued their trek across the fields.

It had been a walk lasting around thirty minutes once the group finally reached their destination; a small, simplistic village, greeting them with a wooden "Welcome" sign overhead, away from the grassy terrain of the great field, instead situated at the edge of the desert region that covered the right side of Sacreca, and near the base of a brown cliff on the left. Over the peak of the cliff was the tower, poking through into visibility. The village itself was tiny, consisting of only a small number of simply-made houses, far different from the vastness of Sacreca Town. Towards the back of the village was a cave with a gaping hole for an entrance. The whole area was giving off a pleasantly peaceful ambiance, with only the sound of a gentle breeze reaching the ears.

"Well, this must be it," said Leo.

"Yep, this is the place," confirmed Lisa.

"It's certainly more quiet than Sacreca Town. Must be easier living here for some," said Leo.

"So, what do we do now?" asked Susanshi.

"We're after Water Gems, so we should head down into the mine," said Lisa. "See that cave entrance over there? That's the mine."

"This village is built on top of a huge subterranean mine...that houses a...vast quantity of Gems," added Alex. "Normal Gems, Water Gems, Dragon Gems... Those and many other types can be found."

"Hey Alex, I notice you're a little more...talkative lately," commented Susanshi.

"...I don't do well..in crowds," said Alex. "Plus, it's geography, I just...enjoy talking about it at times..."

"You're not a bad talker, if I do say so myself," said Susanshi.

"...Thanks" replied Alex lightly.

"Oh, but if you guys don't mind, I want to do something before we actually go down into the mine," said Lisa.

"Sure thing," replied Leo. "What is it?"

"There's somebody I want to meet. They should be in one of the houses," said Lisa.

She then headed into the village along with Alex and approached one of the houses within.

"In here!" she called back to Susanshi, Leo and Tokot to guide them over.

They made their way up to the house.

"Well then, go on in!" offered Lisa.

"You're...letting us enter a random stranger's house?" questioned Susanshi.

"Is this some kind of trap?" asked Leo.

"No, silly! Just go in!" said Lisa.

"O...OK," said Leo.

He did just that and entered by pushing the wooden door inwards, with Susanshi and Tokot following. Inside was a circular red rug in the center of the square room, which was around nine feet in diameter, along with a bunch of furniture. There was no other presence within the room, however.

"Yo, Lisa! Nice prank and all, but nobody's even here!" said Tokot.

"Huh...? Well, maybe they've gone out," said Lisa in confusion. "Come out then, we'll look for them."

And so, Susanshi, Leo and Tokot exited the house to rejoin with Lisa and Alex.

"OK, let me think... Hmm..." mumbled Lisa. "Um, just follow me, we might meet them along the way."

She then began to lead herself and everybody down the path running down through the middle of the village, which lead over to the mine opening. Halfway down the path and with no warning, two large dark yellow-green Pokémon with a brilliantly sharp pair of axe-shaped tusks came walking into view from the path side. The pair of Pokémon, known as Haxorus, one male and one female, were gossiping to one another as they crossed through the path.

"That's them..." said Alex.

"Huh? Who?" wondered Leo.

"Mother! Daddy!" called out Lisa with excitement as she ran over to the Haxorus pair.

With the sound of the Axew's voice, the Haxorus pair stood still in their tracks and turned around to the direction of the voice.

"Lisa!" exclaimed the female Haxorus in joy.

Lisa then leaped into the air and straight into the female Haxorus's arms.

"Lisa, my girl! Long time, no see! Look at you, you've grown since then!" commented the male Haxorus.

"Look at those tusks of yours! They're the best they've ever been!" cheered the female Haxorus.

"Wait, so you have family here?" asked Susanshi as she and the others walked up to the scene.

"Yes, I was born here in the Mining Village," said Lisa.

"Oh, hello, Alex. How are things?" asked the female Haxorus to Alex.

"Things are fine, Mrs. Shartoo," replied Alex.

"Wait... 'Shartoo'? Lisa...you have a surname?" wondered Susanshi.

"Of course I do!" replied Lisa. "Lisa Shartoo. That's my full name."

"So Lisa, who are these lot? Can't say I know them," said the male Haxorus.

"These three are a new team who joined the EA last week," said Lisa as she jumped out of her mother's loving arms. "That's Leo, that's Tokot, and this is Susanshi. Together they form Team Revolution."

"Yeah, it's a pleasure," said Tokot with little enthusiasm.

"It's...really nice to meet you," said Susanshi.

"The pleasure's mine," greeted Leo. "I can see you're proud of Lisa. No surprise, she's one of the highest-ranked Explorer Teams in the EA right now."

"That's our daughter for you; always able to make us proud!" commented the male Haxorus. "But anyway, my name is Jerald, and this is Jennifer."

"Those names sound so...human," said Susanshi.

"Some Pokémon have human-like names, like me. Others don't. That's just the way things go," said Lisa.

"Uh... OK, I'll just roll with it then," said Susanshi.

"Mother, Daddy, we've come to get some Water Gems from the mines. It's Team Revolution's first proper mission. Me and Alex are guiding them," explained Lisa.

"Oh, I guess that means you won't be able to hang around any longer. That's a shame," said Jerald. "But hey, that's Explorers for you, always making missions a priority. I understand, Lisa. You, Alex and the others should get going now. Oh, and be sure to say hi to Carl. He should be in the mine somewhere."

"Will do, Daddy," said Lisa.

"Wow, just look at her. She seems so happy to be around her family. Yes... Family is important, after all..." Susanshi thought to herself.

She then emitted a faint sigh.

"See you later, Lisa," said Jennifer.

"Thanks, Mother. OK, everyone, we're departing. Please ensure you take all your personal belongings with you," said Lisa to the Team Revolution members, who gazed at her, confused by her words. "Haha! I'm joking! Let's just go! See you both later."

She then led herself and the rest over to the mine entrance at the back of the village. They shortly stopped just outside. The inside was dimly lit up by lamps attached to the walls, separated by three-feet gaps in between each.

"Wow, what a shaft," commented Leo, peering inside.

"That's only a small part of the mine, Leo. It goes deep underground, so if the entrance shaft is enough to impress you, just you wait," said Lisa, before she and the others entered.

The overall light strength was weaker than that of the outside world. After a short time, the shaft bent to the right to form a U-turn. Continuing down, the tunnel began to slope downwards and eventually lead into a large underground room.

"Ooh, it sure is chilly in here," commented Leo. "No fresh air in here at all. Oh? Hey, my voice echoes!"

He then commenced to shout out with his hands beside his mouth:

"HELLO-Lo!" his voice bellowed, the sound waves rebounding all over the place. "MY NAME IS LEO-o! AND WE ARE TEAM REVOLUTION-ution! WE WILL BECAME THE GREATEST EXPLORATION TEAM EVER-er!"

"Quit it, fool," mumbled Tokot, before slapping Leo on the back of the head.

"Ow! Uh, hehe, sorry," said Leo. "I guess I just got a little carried away."

"HEY-ey! KEEP IT DOWN OVER THERE-ere!" shouted another voice from somewhere.

"Yikes! The mine's haunted-aunted-ted!" exclaimed a startled Leo.

"No, that's no haunting, that's just Carl," said Lisa.

"So, who's Carl?" asked Susanshi.

"I am Carl," said the mystery voice, only this time closer and not as echoey.

It was a Fraxure, a grey Pokémon with long, thin tusks. It was wearing a yellow hard hat with a small light on the front, and was also carrying a wooden-handled pickaxe. He had appeared from a corner.

"Hi, Carl!" greeted Lisa with a wave and a smile.

"Yo, sis," greeted the Fraxure back with his own wave. "And who are these juveniles you've brought?"

"We're Leo, Tokot and Susanshi!" said Leo "And together, we're... TEAM REVOLUTION-ution!"

He thrust his arm into the air.

"Ah, well nice to meet you, Team Revolution," said Carl. "Oh, and of course you, Alex. So... Been socializing lately, or are you still cut off from everyone?"

Alex did not respond orally; instead he just gave Carl a long, cold stare.

"I joke, I joke!" claimed Carl. "I think you're a cool guy. Really!"

"And what's a sad guy like you doing down here all alone?" wondered Tokot.

"I'm one of the workers who are currently trying to uncover anything else within this section of the mine," explained Carl. "Of course, no luck yet, but we'll keep trying. Anyway, sis, what brings you here today?"

"We've come to collect some Water Gems for town," said Lisa.

"I see. So you'll need the mine cart then," said Carl.

He then began to make his way over to the back of the area, with everyone else following closely behind him. At the other side of the underground room was a small wooden mine cart, just short enough to allow smaller Pokémon to climb in unassisted, positioned at the end of some tracks that ran down into a small tunnel, followed by a bumper next to the track to prevent the cart from leaving the tracks. The cart itself was somewhat small, with a lever on the front to serve as a break, followed by a headlight.

"A mine cart?" quizzed Susanshi.

"Yep. Use it to go deeper into the mine," said Carl.

"Uh, are you sure? It doesn't look stable," said Leo as he closely inspected the mine cart.

He then took a peek into the tunnel. It was totally unlit, making him worry even more.

"It...sure is dark in there..."

"What are you afraid of? I assure you, it's perfectly safe!" insisted Carl.

Then, at that moment, Leo gently touched one of the planks that made the side of the cart with his hand.

He heard it creek a little, so he decided to punch the plank to make absolutely sure it was stable. It snapped and broke inwards, leaving a hole in the side.

"Oops! Uh... It wasn't me, I swear!" said a tense Leo.

Tokot merely sighed at the incident.

"Safe? You sure about those words?" questioned Susanshi to Carl.

"If it wasn't safe then it wouldn't even be available," replied Carl. "Just get in. The majority of the Gems are in the deeper parts, so you don't exactly have a choice. Hop in!"

"Come on, guys. It's fun!" claimed Lisa as she climbed in. "Come on, Alex."

As Alex made his way into the mine cart, Tokot and Susanshi followed suit.

"Uh, it's a little cramped in here," commented Susanshi. "And there's only four of us in it!"

"Well, what do you know. There's not enough room for me!" said Leo. "Ah well, it was fun. You lot go on ahead."

"What?! What are you talking about?! Are you trying to chicken out NOW?!" questioned Tokot.

"Uh, well... The thing is that... I, uh... I'm scared!" stuttered Leo.

"Scared? Mr. Oh-so-confident-Explorer is scared?! Give me a break!" barked Tokot.

"Yes... I'm...scared. I admit it, I'm not brave," sobbed Leo.

"I'm sorry, Leo," said Lisa. "But... Carl, get him in with us."

"Yes, sis," said Carl, before grabbing Leo by the sides and placing him into the mine cart upside-down.

"Too bad, Leo. Looks like you're going into the mine after all," said Tokot.

"Fine, I accept my fate," said Leo calmly-yet-negatively, his legs kicking lightly.

"All set then? Then pull that lever to allow the cart to go," instructed Carl.

Susanshi, who was the closest to the front of the mine cart, did just that.

The lever mechanism was now no longer touching the right front wheel. Carl then proceeded to approach the backside of the cart.

"Looks like you're all ready now," he said. "Alright then, fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the ride!"

He started to push the mine cart forward, picking up the pace faster and faster, until eventually he gave the mine cart enough momentum to continue forward on its own. He let go of the mine cart at the mouth of the tunnel. He waved goodbye to the gang as the cart began making its way across the tracks.

"Uh, I don't see any seatbelts installed on this thing..." said Susanshi as she, the others and the cart faded into the darkness of the tunnel.

"Hmm... Wait a second... Didn't the mayor say the mine cart was getting replaced today because this one was deemed unsafe?" wondered Carl to himself. "Wait... He did...

Oh...crap..."


	6. All That Glitters

Chapter 6 - All That Glitters

The lighting within the tunnel was much weaker than anywhere else in the mine thus far due to a lower presence of lamps. The mine cart, with its headlight brightening the way, moved along at a walking pace, guided forwards by only the linearity of the tracks, carrying Susanshi, Tokot, Leo, Lisa and Alex with it.

"So that Fraxure guy from before... He's your brother, right?" wondered Susanshi to Lisa.

"Yes, older brother, to be more precise," replied Lisa. "He works here in the mine. He mostly digs to try to discover Gem-filled areas that were previously undiscovered."

"...That doesn't sound very exciting," commented a doubtful Susanshi.

"It isn't, but hey, it's helpful to the place if such areas are found," said Lisa.

"Hey guys! The blood in my body is stockpiling inside my head here! Help me up before I pass out!" muttered the still upside-down Leo.

"Oops! Almost forgot!" said Lisa as she grabbed Leo by his legs and flipped him upright.

Leo was left holding onto his head.

"Uh, thanks, Lisa," he said in a dazed state.

"How long is this ride gonna last, anyway?" questioned Tokot.

"The deepest parts of the mine are a little further up, but the mine cart will still have a bit of distance to travel even when we get there," said Lisa.

"What? No approximation? That could mean anything from a short ride to an extremely long ride!" exclaimed Tokot.

"Why must you always be so rude and impatient?" questioned Lisa.

"'Cos I want pay!" replied Tokot impolitely.

Lisa was left to give Tokot a look of condemnation.

"Being on this mine cart reminds me of the amusement park back at home," commented Susanshi.

"What's an amusement park?" asked Leo.

"Oh, it's a place you go to have fun, basically. There's a Ferris wheel, a fun house, and this amazing roller coaster," detailed Susanshi. "Being on this mine cart reminds me so much of an amusement park ride. Ah... It's always so much fun."

"Your homeland sounds exciting," commented Lisa. "We certainly don't have one of these so-called roller coaster. I wonder what they look like."

"It's a vehicle on rails, kinda like this mine cart. But it can also go through loop-de-loops and even go upside down," described Susanshi.

"Oh wow! That's pretty cool! Your place must have amazing technology!" said Lisa in awe.

"Oh yes, we...do," said Susanshi.

"In fact, Sacreca doesn't have a huge focus on technology. Although when we do need it, it usually comes from Cassis Site, as well as our metal, the same metal used to make these very tracks, actually," lectured Lisa.

"Well, I think you're getting close to matching my own technology. Give it some time and maybe it could happen," said Susanshi.

"Yes, I believe that too," said Lisa. "Oh! We're almost in the main mining section!"

Looking back forward, Susanshi could spot what appeared to be a dead end at the end of the line. Certain that the mine cart was going to crash, she crouched down into the cart in fear.

"Hey, it's not what it looks like! Believe me!" claimed Lisa.

Then, the cart collided into the door, which upon impact simply swung open, allowing the cart to pass through. The tracks continued on through the other side. With Susanshi realizing the absence of a crash, she stood back up to see herself and the others now traveling on tracks suspended in the air within a spacious underground realm with practically no lighting. In multiple areas were clusters of colors. Reds, greens, blues, purple and many other colors sparkled and glowed in the darkness, like galaxies in the furthest reaches of outer space. There were also some stalactites looming overhead. Leo and Susanshi were awestruck by the incredible sight.

"Wow... It's like space! It's so beautiful!" commented a starry-eyed Leo.

"Yep. Welcome to Jewel Mines!" said Lisa. "This huge area actually has multiple smaller sections connected to it, so not all the Gems can be just found in this main area."

"Now this is something the amusement park will never have!" said Susanshi.

"OK, so we're after Water Gems," reminded Leo.

"Then you'll want the blue Gems," said Lisa. "We should be able to find them down below. Right now, we're passing over the mining area. The cart will continue ahead, before taking a U-turn and stopping below where we are now. It should only be a few more minutes."

"I kinda wish those few minutes lasted longer. I just can't get enough of this sight!" said Leo.

"Hey! We're not hanging around on this ride forever, Leo! We're getting those Gems today!" insisted Tokot.

With the mine cart continuing its voyage, the glowing colors of Gems began to disappear from view.

"Aww... The glowing's vanishing," said a disappointed Leo.

"It means we're getting closer to the end," said Lisa.

At that point, Susanshi spotted something up ahead.

"What, what's that?" she quizzed.

Taking a closer look by leaning forward slightly, she discovered that, thanks to the headlight's strong illumination, a piece of the tracks up ahead were missing, leaving a gap.

"WHOA! THE TRACKS ARE GONE!" she yelled.

"What?! Are you sure?!" questioned Lisa, before taking a gander for herself. "Oh no! They really are gone! But how? This can't be right!"

"Oh, that's just great, Lisa! That brother of yours lead us to our death!" shouted Tokot. "Leo! Get it in your head! We're gonna fall off the track! Hit the brakes!"

"I know, I know! Don't panic, I've got it!" said Leo.

In a state of panic, he shifted his way towards the brake of the front of the cart. He reached out for the stick-like object and quickly pushed it forward. Upon doing so, the stick snapped clean off, leaving it in Leo's hand as he and everyone else glared blank and expressionlessly at it as the mine cart refused to stop or even slow down, due to the brake not being fully applied.

"YOU KLUTZ! NOW WE'RE AS GOOD AS DEAD!" barked Tokot after several seconds of awkward silence.

"N-n-no! I-I didn't mean it!" said Leo in a panicked state.

"L-Lisa! What do we do?!" questioned Alex.

"Don't panic, Alex! We'll get through this, I promise!" alleged Lisa.

The gap in the tracks got closer and closer.

"Actually, I think we should panic!" Leo then shouted.

"Everyone, brace yourselves!" called out Lisa.

Everyone held on tightly to the mine cart as the inevitable drew close. Eventually, the mine cart reached the end of the tracks, falling off and down. While Susanshi, Tokot and Lisa all remained somewhat calm, Leo and Alex weren't so much. Leo was screaming in horror, and Alex was pressed against Lisa, holding onto her with his eyes shut tightly. Eventually, the mine cart landed coincidentally onto the continuing tracks below. The impact, however, caused the back of the mine cart to break off, leaving Alex, who was stood furthest back, to almost fall out. Lisa reacted quickly enough to grab hold of his hand as she herself kept hold of the side of the cart.

"It's OK, I've got you," she assured him.

The cart, its back now facing the direction of the movement, was now left traveling across the tracks, which were sloping downward slightly. It had gained a fair amount of speed compared to earlier. Soon, the back wheels of the cart flew completely off, resulting in the backside of the vehicle to drag across the tracks, creating many sparks. The ride was becoming more and more rough for the group: Susanshi, Leo and Tokot were hanging on as tight as they could, while Alex was hanging onto Lisa's hand for dear life as all around him moved backwards. With no other hope for Alex's safety, Lisa instinctively pulled him into the cart to try to avoid him getting injured. Lisa had also forced everyone else back as she fell into them. And then, the friction caused by the mine cart dragging along, resulting in it to start slowing down with a loud screeching noise as the tracks finally became level with the ground, which they were now rested on. Eventually, it was safely stopped by the bumper. The ride was now, at long last, over. Silence fell for a few moments after that.

"W-we've stopped?" Leo wondered.

He lifted himself back up to see the cart now motionless at the end of the tracks.

"Yes! We've stopped! We're alive! Praise Sacreca!" Leo then cheered.

"Alex, it's fine now. We've made it," Lisa said to Alex.

"Man, with you around, we're always assured of the best," Leo commented to Lisa.

Then, suddenly, the mine cart completely and utterly collapsed. The bottom fell through with the group still on it, and the remaining sides fell off. The headlight on the front also shorted out.

"...Um, I think the mine cart's out of commission now," commented Leo.

Everyone stood off the bottom of the cart and stepped over to the side of the tracks. This area was pitch black. Not a single thing was visible. The echoes from any noise made here were significantly stronger than higher up in the mine. Despite being wide and open, there was an unnerving sense of terror lurking within the shadows.

"Well, that can't be good. How do we get back now?" asked Leo.

"Those tracks are a one-way trip, I'm afraid," replied Lisa.

"What?! You mean we're stuck hundreds of miles underground now?!" barked Tokot.

"...Actually, it's around half a mile," corrected Alex.

"Don't get smart with me!" snapped Tokot back. "We're trapped down here!"

"Tokot! Calm down! We'll be able to get out. Trust me!" said Lisa.

She then began to wonder:

"But this still doesn't make sense... Why are the tracks destroyed?"

"Maybe they fell by accident?" suggested Leo.

"No, that doesn't sound right," said Lisa. "I think... I think it was deliberate."

"You mean someone meant to break the tracks?!" questioned Susanshi.

"Yes, that's the only thing I can think of," replied Lisa. "But the questions are who, and why?"

"Well, whoever did it may have done it on his or her way into the mine. If that's the case, then the one responsible may still be down here," said Susanshi.

"Yeah, but if the culprit destroyed the tracks on the way OUT, then what?" wondered Leo.

"Then that's just the way it is. No finding out who did it," responded Susanshi.

"Ah, well, whatever the case, we should hunt down the Water Gems now," said Leo.

"Assuming Lisa isn't pulling our legs by claiming we can still get outta here. Then that'll mean this will be all for nothing!" said Tokot.

"W-whoa, Tokot! Don't make me think about it!" exclaimed Leo, now showing signs of worry. "If we can't get back to the surface... Then we'd be stuck here forever! We'd have to live here, then we'd have to resort to eating each other just to survive!"

"E-eat each other? Susanshi said with a puzzled look.

"Yeah, eat each other!" repeated Leo. "Hmm... Lisa looks like she'd at least taste tolerable. Not so sure about Alex. His skin looks kinda tough, although his insides might not be the same..."

"Leo!" yelled Lisa, her voice booming everywhere. "Nobody's getting eaten! I'll be able to get us all out! Believe me!"

"Phew, well, that's a relief," said Leo. "I was afraid I'd have to put on weight. Eating others sure does sound fatty..."

"But... Lisa isn't fat... Is she?" wondered Alex.

"No, I am perfectly slim and healthy," relied Lisa.

"Bah, I bet Lisa's just saying things like that just to stop us worrying," said Tokot.

"Stop having no trust in others!" exclaimed Lisa. "I have it covered!"

"Tokot! Don't you remember? Lisa's one of the best Explorers in the term! How can you not put your faith in her?" questioned Leo.

Tokot simply remained silent, refusing to reply.

"Alright, guys, let's go find some Water Gems!"

"And how exactly do you plan on doing that?" quizzed Tokot. "It's not like YOU can see a thing here!"

Then suddenly, a bright beam of light shined into Tokot's face, blinding him.

"With this," said Lisa, now holding a small black flashlight, which she had taken out of her bag. "Here, you three take this one." She then handed it to Leo.

"Oh, but what about you?" wondered Leo.

"Me and Alex have our own one," said Lisa as she took out another flashlight identical to the previous one, then turning it on.

"But don't you have more?" asked Susanshi.

"No, I'm afraid," replied Lisa.

"No need for me to worry about the dark. I have a flashlight practically built in," said Tokot. "No batteries needed."

"Well... This should be enough," said Susanshi. "Well then... Shall we?"

"Oh, yes!" replied Leo.

The group then headed on forwards, pointing the light from their flashlights ahead of them to see the way.

Their search had only just begun when they encountered a large pile of midnight-blue Gems stacked around six feet high.

"Blue Gems! It must be the Water Gems!" stated Leo.

Alex then approached the pile, picked up one of the many Gems and inspected it carefully.

"No... These aren't Water Gems. They're Dragon Gems," he announced.

"Huh? Are you sure about that?" asked Leo.

"Of course I am..." replied Alex.

"Hmm... Actually, I could use one of these," Lisa said as she made her way over to the stack, taking one of the Dragon Gems and putting it away in her bag. "It could be useful in the future."

"Oh, well that's too bad. Let's keep looking," said Leo with disappointment.

"Wait a moment," uttered Susanshi. "Why would the Gems even be gathered into a pile like this?"

"All the different types of Gems are hoarded into piles, just like this one," said Lisa. "When the workers find new Gems, they add them to their appropriate pile."

"Huh, seems like a dumb idea to scatter the piles around, rather than have them all conveniently gathered in one place," commented Tokot.

"I don't know, just laziness of the workers, I guess," said Lisa.

Ditching the Dragon Gem stack, the group carried on forward.

"Hey, Lisa," Leo said. "I know this may sound weird coming from me, be what exactly are these Gems for?"

"Oh? You mean you don't know?" asked Lisa.

"Not really. It's something I'm not too familiar with," replied Leo.

"Well, there are eighteen known types of Gems in the world, each one corresponding to each of the Pokémon types. When you have one and you use an attack that matches the same type of that Gem, that one attack's power becomes greatly boosted. After that, the Gem becomes useless, and vanishes into the air," Lisa lectured.

"They just...disappear? Wait, how do Gems even work like that?" asked Leo.

"We don't fully know, but all you have to do is hold the Gem in your hand and it works," replied Lisa. "In fact, my own personal theory is that the Gems have a connection to the Wystians, given their nature."

"Then, wouldn't that mean there's only a limited supply of Gems in this land?" wondered Leo.

"In this period, the Gems are formed through a process...called crystallization," said Alex. "The many possible outcomes are decided by the elements that crystallize. Like how...incendine makes Fire Gems."

"Incendine? That sounds made up..." commented Susanshi.

"It isn't..." replied Alex. "It's one of the...eighteen elements that are found in our world. They were...named by scientists. Abnorine, aquaine, petrine, venenine, pyroine, grameine, micoine, glacine, roburine, humine, mentine, volucrine, phasmine, chalybine, magusine, dracine, cimexine and acerbine."

"You've memorized all those?" wondered Leo. "That's pretty sweet."

"It's just...second nature to me," said Alex.

"So, these elements form the Gems. So, I guess as long as these elements are around, Gems won't be in short supply," said Susanshi.

"Yes, and the elements are...natural," said Alex.

"Wait, if Lisa thinks these Gems are connected to the Wystians, then would that mean the elements that make them could be too?" wondered Susanshi.

"It's a long shot, since it's still just a theory," said Lisa.

"Geez, the nerdiness in the air is overpowering," commented Tokot.

"Yes... I am...a nerd," replied Alex, simply accepting it.

"Well, you know, nerdiness is cute...to some girls," said Susanshi.

Alex tilted his head down in response to the remark. It appeared as if he was blushing lightly.

Another minute or two had passed after that.

"You know, normally, my legs would be like jelly in a place like this," said Leo. "I'd be so terrified of being in a place like this, only armed with a flashlight. I tell you, I'm so thankful these chats help to get my mind off the fear..."

He was quick to realize that he was somehow by himself.

"G-guys? Where are you?"

He stopped dead in his tracks and began to quiver and whimper. Then, he heard a small sound, similar to stepping. He pointed his flashlight's beam all around him.

"W-who's there?" he called. "I know someone's there..."

He continued to look all around him, hoping to uncover the source of the sound.

Then, without warning, Susanshi appeared behind him from the darkness:

"Leo..." she said casually.

Leo let out a cowardly scream in response to the voice. He then turned back around to shine his light on Susanshi, who was also accompanied by the other.

"...Oh! Susanshi, it's just you! And everyone else!" he said in relief. "Wh-where were you?"

"We were behind you the whole time," replied Susanshi. "It's just that you were walking so fast, compared to us, that you got ahead of us."

"Well, that's a relief," sighed Leo as he turned back forward. "For a moment there, I thought for sure I was..."

He was halted by an unusual finding a few feet away from him.

There was something lying lonely on the ground.

"Huh? What's that thing on the floor?" wondered Leo, as he pointed his light onto the finding.

Lisa did the same thing to discover a red-colored stick with white ends. Leo walked up to it, picked it up and began to investigate it. He spotted what appeared to be a piece of string protruding out one of the ends.

"...Looks like a baton of some sort," Leo theorized

"Careful, Leo! That's dynamite!" exclaimed Lisa in concern.

"D-dynamite?! What is it doing lying around here?" questioned Leo.

"Someone must've dropped it by accident," suggested Susanshi.

"Does seem possible," agreed Leo. "At least it won't cause any damage unless it gets lit."

Grasping the dynamite stick in his hand, he proceeded to walk back up to the group.

"We should take it with us to make sure nobody tries to light i-"

He was interrupted by accidentally tripping over a small stone laid down on the ground. He landed flat on his face as the compact explosive went flying through the air towards Tokot, landing just next to him, narrowly missing his tail flame.

"Well then, that was close," said Tokot.

Leo, in a daze, held his head up. He spotted the dynamite laid near Tokot. Returning to a standing position, he walked over to it.

"As I was saying, we should probably take this with us," he said as he bent down to pick it up. "It's best to-."

He was stopped by the fact that as he lifted the dynamite off the ground, the fuse went through Tokot's tail flame and ignited.

"Uh oh..."

Tokot turned around to see what had just happened.

"Oh, Leo... QUIT TRYING TO KILL US!" shouted Tokot.

"Everyone run!" ordered Lisa.

She, Alex, Susanshi and Tokot all darted away from the dynamite. Leo threw it into the air in a state of panic and sprinted away, running even faster than the others. After five more seconds, the dynamite detonated as the group all fell to the floor. With nobody harmed, the group stood back up and turned around, discovering a small crater in the ground along with smoke raising into the air, where the dynamite once was in solid form.

"Hey... I think I've got it," said Leo. "Dynamite was probably used to destroy the tracks."

"Hmm... That does sound plausible," agreed Lisa. "And hey, at least we won't have to worry about that one stick of dynamite anymore."

"Alright, we've avoided death a second time down in this cruddy mine. I suggest we try not to do it a third time. So let's find those Water Gems and get outta here already," said Tokot.

"Good idea, Tokot," responded Leo.

The group continued on once more.

As the clusters of Gems dotted around the area gleamed above and all around, the group carried on with their hunt. Pointing their flashlight beams side to side, it wasn't long before Leo took notice of a small gap in the side of a wall on the right.

"Hey guys, I think we should look in there," he said, his light illuminating the gap.

"Nice one, Leo. But... There's bound to be many gaps in walls like this one. Don't think we'll find those Water Gems on the first try," said Susanshi.

"Oh, no you don't, Susanshi! I don't fancy being reminded of the fact that we could be down here for a long time!" said Tokot. "For once, I'm actually on Leo's side. And I NEVER am!"

"Uh, you're welcome, Tokot," responded Leo. "But... Even I'm not sure about the Water Gems being in there."

"Enough! Just check it out!" demanded Tokot.

"Alright, alright! Calm yourself!" said Leo.

He then made his way over to the gaping crevice and peered inside. He could see a circular section within, around twenty feet in diameter. Small streaks of light were also seeping through the back wall. And there, situated in the back, was a huge heap of sky-blue Gems, glittering in the light. Leo, with a look of excitement upon his face, rushed into the area.

"Looks like he found something," observed Susanshi, before going in after him, along with the others.

Within, they spotted Leo surveying one of the many Gems in his hand. It was giving off a brilliant shine.

"These just HAVE to be the Water Gems!" said Leo.

"Yeah, they are," replied Alex.

"All riiiiight! We've found them!" cheered Leo. "Better take as many as I can!"

Placing his bag onto the ground next to the Water Gem supply, he hastily began to stuff the jewels into the bag, hastily grabbing them in his hands. Soon, the bag was full to bursting point, but Leo didn't stop there: he instead proceeded to grab more Water Gems and pour them into Lisa's arms.

"Here, you take some," he said, before returning to his bag.

"Uh, Leo... I don't think you should take so many back," said Lisa, looking at Leo, who was desperately trying to move his bag.

It was so full and heavy that Leo struggled as he tried to drag it by the handle strap as it laid on the ground, only for it to not budge even an inch.

"Hnnnnng! But the more...hnnng...Gems we take back, the happier M-Master Eag, hnnnng, will be!" he grunted.

He started to lean far forwards while holding the strap, only to end up falling to the ground, the bag still stationary.

"C'mon, Leo! Put some more muscle into it!" stated Tokot, walking up to the bag.

Leo got back up and took hold of the strap again, this time along with Tokot. The pair pulled as hard as they could, successfully dragging the bag, albeit sluggishly. During this, Lisa placed the Gems she was carrying into her own bag.

"Hey, we moved it!" cheered Leo.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don't get excited now. We've got a long way to go," said Tokot.

"...Are you guys serious? You're planning on dragging that thing all the way back? There'll be no more bag in the end!" said Susanshi.

"Hey, if it works, what else can we do?" asked Tokot.

Susanshi, Lisa and Alex were all left to stand watching the dragging of the bag, inch by inch.

"Going somewhere?" questioned a hidden figure from something within the room.

"Huh?! Who said that?!" quizzed Tokot.

Then, a lit stick of dynamite came flying out from behind a stalagmite in the corner, landing just inside the gap leading in and out. It exploded, causing the gap to collapse in on itself, making exit impossible.

"What?! We're trapped...again!" exclaimed Leo.

"Oh, that's just great. Now we're trapped within somewhere we were already trapped in!" said Tokot.

"Oh no! Who did this?!" questioned Susanshi, after turning around to see the way out now blocked off.

"It has to be the same one who destroyed the tracks. It just has to be!" claimed Leo.

"But... Who? And why do it?" quizzed Susanshi.


	7. An Explosive Confrontation

Chapter 7 - An Explosive Confrontation

With the opening blocked off and no other visible way out of the underground sector, Susanshi, Leo, Tokot, Lisa and Alex all stood still and tense. The hidden voice, the one responsible for preventing escape, greeted them once more:

"I heard your loud voices from out there, so I went hiding, waiting for you to come in here! And now, here you are!"

"Who are you? Come out and show yourself!" ordered Lisa, all while pointing her flashlight beam all around.

"Very well then," responded the voice.

And then, a blue Pokémon with a gigantic mouth and a large pair of round speaker-like ears came out from behind the nearby stalagmite, and stood before the group. It was carrying a big backpack on its back, filled with nothing but dynamite, along with a smaller pouch around the waist.

"I am Dynamaxx the Loudred, the most feared outlaw in all of Sacreca!" he greeted. "Man, you runts are sooooo unlucky, being in the same area as me!"

"...Dyna...Dynamaxx?" questioned Tokot, before snickering. "What kinda name is that?!"

He began to burst out with insane laughter.

"Like, seriously?! You go around chucking dynamite around, and your name is DYNAMAXX? So let me guess, let me guess! Your mom was there when you were born, and she said 'Oh, I'm gonna call him Dynamaxx, and he will throw dynamite around like an idiot'? Aww man, that cracks me up!"

"Silence!" shouted Dynamaxx. "You will regret the day you mocked ME! For it is I, Dynamaxx, who will steal the entire mine's Gem supply and sell them! I will make millions! It will also be me who'll blow up the mine so that nobody can ever get in! And yes, I was also the one who blew up the tracks to prevent anyone from getting down here while I did my business! I have to admit, I'm surprised you runts got here alive! But now you're trapped in this room with me! Ha ha ha! You're all goners!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on a moment there, man. Are you saying you blew up the tracks, the only way in and outta the mine? Then you trap YOURSELF in here just to trap US?!" quizzed Tokot.

Dynamaxx, now with a look of sudden realization, looked across to see the tunnel, which he had blocked off.

"Um... Oh dear..." he silently muttered to himself. "Uh, it shows my daring ways! It's proof of my determination to best you at all costs!"

Tokot, still amused by the act, began laughing once again. This time he was actually lying his hand on Leo's shoulder.

"Pfffhahahahaha! Stop it, you're killing me over here!" he cried out. "Oh man, I'm getting tears in my eyes! This comedy act's too much!"

"Huh, this is the happiest I've ever seen Tokot," remarked Leo.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" barked an annoyed Dynamaxx. "Be afraid of me! Be afraid I say!"

Then, he proceeded to open up the small pouch around his waist, taking out a yellow box containing matches. He opened it up, took one match out, and began to strike it against the rough side of the matchbox. Nothing happened on the first strike, nor the second, nor the third.

"Uh, hold on a second," he said as he started striking the match over the box repeatedly and in quick succession.

"Guys, oh guys! You seeing this? The clown can't even light a match!" announced Tokot. So, what's that about being a feared and oh-so-scary outlaw? You're a complete joke! Hahahaha!"

"Uggggggh!" groaned Dynamaxx, now with his match worn away so much that it can no longer be ignited.

He took out another match and struck it a few times, to no success.

"Oh, screw it!" he said.

Without delay, he made his way over to Lisa and struck the match over one of her tusks, finally producing a desired flame. Lisa brought her free hand over to her tusk:

"Hey, easy on the tusk!"

With the newly lit match in one hand, he reached out for his backpack and took out a stick of dynamite, then contacted the flame and dynamite fuse together. With the dynamite lit, he shook the lit match to put out the flame, dropped it and ran back to where he once stood.

"Hey... CATCH!" he shouted, before throwing it forward at Leo.

Leo was then quick to catch hold of it with his left hand, since he was still holding the flashlight in his right.

"Ah! No, no, no!" he panicked.

"Just throw it away!" said Susanshi.

"But I'm right-handed! I can't throw well with my left!" Leo exclaimed.

"Then just switch hands!" shouted Susanshi.

Leo, heeding these words, yet without thinking, swapped the dynamite and flashlight around, then threw the dynamite straight up into the air, which then exploded just below the ceiling of the cave. The explosion caused a bunch of small rocks to fall down, landing onto the ground, with one hitting Leo in the head, making him disorientated.

"Ohhhhh... My noggin..." he groaned he as staggered about on the spot.

"No, Leo. Just...no," said Tokot. "That isn't as funny, now snap outta it! I've had my laugh, but now I think it's time we taught this loser a lesson! Who's with me?"

"You bet I am!" said Lisa.

"Yeah, I guess," said Alex.

"Uh...huh? Oh! I'm ready!" said Leo, shaking his head to come back to his senses.

"All right! Let's kick some hide!" exclaimed Tokot. "Uh... Susanshi? How about you, eh?"

"Oh! I...I don't know about this... What if I won't be able to do anything again?" wondered a doubtful Susanshi.

"No, don't you dare do that again! Fight with us!" demanded Tokot.

"Susanshi, are you feeling all right?" asked Lisa.

"N-not really... I'm having a hard time using moves," replied Susanshi.

"What? That's...unusual. But you have to try!" said Lisa.

"Yeah...I know..." muttered Susanshi with worry.

"Enough talk! Eat kaboom!" shouted Dynamaxx, having lit another dynamite without anyone taking notice, then throwing it towards Tokot. It landed just in front of his feet.

"Pfft, please," he said, before picking it up and throwing it back to Dynamaxx.

"No no, I insist you take it," said Dynamaxx, catching it and returning it to Tokot.

"Nah, I don't want it."

"It's my present to you!"

"Take it back to the store and get a refund."

"Hey, I've only just met you! How am I suppose to know what yo- Uh oh, it's gonna blow!"

Dynamaxx had took notice of how dangerously short the fuse had gotten, so he quickly threw it over his shoulder. It exploded near the back wall, where the light was streaking in through. The wall was left with a large hole in it, allowing a much bigger blast of light through, lighting up the area with much greater intensity.

"Oh, well I guess I won't need this now," said Leo, deactivating his flashlight.

Lisa did the same, then returned the flashlight to the inside of her bag.

"Oh, would you, uh, be wanting this back then?" Leo asked Lisa.

"Actually, you can have it for yourself," replied Lisa.

"Really? Wow, thank you!" uttered Leo in delight.

"Hey! Don't lose track of the situation!" called Tokot.

"Well, I haven't forgotten. It's just that...this really isn't going anywhere," commented Susanshi.

"Bah, the penguin's right! Enough with the passing, let's get serious!" said Dynamaxx, taking out one stick of dynamite, lighting it up, then passing it to Susanshi.

"Watch out, Susanshi!" called out Leo.

Susanshi, without a thought in her mind, quickly attempted a Bubble Beam attack. This time, it was with success: a stream of bubbles shot out of her mouth, striking the dynamite, cutting its trajectory and flight short and dropping it to the ground. Susanshi fired another Bubble Beam, this time aiming it at the fuse, putting it out.

"Oh hey, you actually did it," said Tokot, slightly impressed.

"I...I did! You see that? I did it!" cheered Susanshi. "Now, if I can only use it on command all the time!"

"Have you even tried your moves before?" wondered Lisa.

"Uhhhh... This isn't the time to question it," said Susanshi.

"Great! Now just get it right each time!" said Leo.

"Grrrr! Don't stop my explosions!" grunted Dynamaxx, lighting another sticking and throwing it at Susanshi.

Susanshi produced another successful Bubble Beam, this time knocking it back at Dynamaxx, landing it straight into his gaping mouth.

"Mmfph!" he emitted in shock.

"Oh man, if that thing blows up in there, it won't be pretty," said Tokot.

Suddenly, Dynamaxx spat the dynamite out, sending it hurling towards Leo. He got hold of it in both hands, before throwing it over his shoulder with enough force to send it far away enough to explode safely away from everyone.

"Time to actually do something!" exclaimed Susanshi, before firing a Bubble Beam into Dynamaxx, causing some damage.

"Gah! Who would've thought bubbles could hurt!" groaned Dynamaxx.

"Well...if they got into your eyes, then they could," replied Alex, seemingly without caution.

"Hmph! I don't need to be told such details!" said Dynamaxx.

"Hmm... I wonder what other moves I can use," thought Susanshi to herself. "Well... Only one way of finding out. I'd better think hard. Think... Think... Think..."

She closed her eyes and began to deeply focus her mind. Keeping everything out, she delved deep into her mind, allowing her human conscious to be one with her Piplup form. Then, eventually, a vision came to her in her mind: a swirling mass of water, spinning about in a shape of an upside-down cone.

"Wait, is that...a whirlpool?" wondered Susanshi.

Then, a sense of realization came to her.

"That's it! I can use Whirlpool!"

"Susanshi! Susanshi! Come back to us!" shouted Leo.

Susanshi, responding to the call, came back to reality to see a lit stick of dynamite at her feet, which Dynamaxx had placed there without her noticing. She quickly kicked it away, leaving it to explode in the corner.

"Yo, Susanshi! What's the deal, huh?" questioned Tokot. "Why did you decide to space out at a time like this!?"

"It came to me!" she replied.

"What came?" asked Tokot.

Then, Susanshi stared up into the air. A cone of water started to form at the tip of her beak, just like the image she previously saw.

"Whoa, Susanshi!" exclaimed Leo in surprise.

The whirlpool continued to grow in size, and then eventually reached double the length of Susanshi's body from head to feet.

"I think it's the perfect time to release it!" Susanshi thought to herself.

Removing the focus onto the attack, she cast the whirlpool forwards through the air and into the direction of Dynamaxx. It went spiraling clockwise on its path, then hitting Dynamaxx head on with enough force to drag him back slightly, then knocking him to the ground.

"So, you wanna take this a step further, eh?" he quizzed as he stood back up. "Then BRING IT!"

Laughing in a sinister-yet-cheesy matter, he lit up three dynamite sticks at once with one match and tossed them one by one at Susanshi. With her newly discovered ability still fresh in her memory, Susanshi performed another Whirlpool over her head, catching the dynamite sticks in it, extinguishing their fuses. As the unlit explosives circled around the whirlpool, Susanshi ceased the attack, resulting in the whirlpool breaking apart, many water droplets falling to the ground, along with the dynamite sticks, now rendered useless.

"What?! No! How dare you!" Dynamaxx barked angrily. "Gaaah! If I can't stop you, then at least I can stop your pals! Here I come!"

He proceeded to light up another dynamite, before flinging it to Lisa. Lisa remained remarkably calm, simply picking up the stick and actually chopping the fuse off with her tusk. The lit fuse dropped helplessly to the floor. Then, she stamped on it with her foot, extinguishing it.

Dynamaxx was now starting to get worried, evident by his expression. So, he took out another dynamite out, lit it, and threw it at Tokot.

"Pfft, please, I can handle heat," Tokot said.

After picking it up, he licked his fingers and gripped the burning fuse between them, instantly putting it out. With the threat eliminated, Tokot held the stick to the side, then dropped it.

"No! I won't surrender now! I still have more!" announced a resilient Dynamaxx.

He reached his arm over his shoulder to grab another piece of dynamite, but it appeared as if there was nothing for him to grab.

"Uh oh," he said.

He took his backpack off, laid it on the floor in front of him, then began to frantically search through it.

"No! I have no dynamite left!" he cried out, his face showing disappointment.

"Well, that's taken care of," said Susanshi.

Just then, Dynamaxx lifted his head up. He was now bearing a sinister smile.

"Nope, just kidding!" he declared.

He held up one final stick of dynamite high into the air. He then reached into his pouch, pulled out the matchbox, took a match out of it and struck it against it, igniting it immediately. He touched the flame with the fuse, and then, leaving his backpack on the floor and dropping the matchbox, he charged at the group.

"He's turned himself into a kamikaze Pokémon..." Lisa said with one raised brow.

"Then run away!" called out Leo.

The entire group of five all ran together, avoiding Dynamaxx and his absurd attack method at all costs. They took cover behind the Water Gem pile in the back of the room. Dynamaxx decided not to follow them, instead opting to stand patiently in the center of the area. Things were left quiet for a short time.

"Uh... Where is he?" Leo whispered.

"He might be preparing for a surprise attack," Lisa whispered back. "Stay alert."

Just then, the lit explosive fell in front of everyone. Dynamaxx had thrown it over the Gem stack.

"Uh oh! Get rid of it!" panicked Leo.

The flame on the fuse was now close to the end. Without a delay, Susanshi took hold of it, and threw it overhead. She was successful in throwing it over the Gem pile.

"Phew, thanks, Susanshi," said Leo.

And then, without notice, there was an explosion. The shock from it caused the Water Gem stack to topple, spilling all over the sheltering group. Alex had covered his ears when the explosion occurred. When things fell calm and the smoke that remained after the catastrophic boom slowly cleared away, everyone walked out from where they once were to see Dynamaxx stood motionless on the spot. He was blackened with soot, his eyes being the only feature standing out. His arm was stretched out in front of him, suggesting that he had actually got hold of it and threw it, only for it to travel about one meter away before exploding and catching him in the radius.

"Cough... I...surrender..." he grunted, falling face-down to the floor.

"Oh hey, we did it!" cheered Leo with relief.

"Well, well. Looks like Dynamaxx created quite a boom," commented Tokot.

"Silly Dynamaxx. You should never play with explosives," said Lisa.

"Hey, Susanshi! That Whirlpool attack was awesome! How did you do it?" wondered Leo.

"I can't really say exactly how, it was just there, in the back of my mind," replied Susanshi.

"You've gotten so much better at being this way since earlier!" commented Leo.

"Yes, she is improving. Even I must say so," said Tokot.

"Thanks, Tokot! I guess you're more than just a hothead!" said Leo cheekily.

"Err, I still don't get any of this. Was Susanshi ever able to use attacks before?" wondered Lisa.

"It's, uh...a secret to all," replied Susanshi.

"O...K then," said Lisa.

"So, we got the Water Gems and defeated a crazed maniac. Now how can we get out of here?" pondered Leo. "I don't exactly trust the gaping hole in the wall back there."

"You're right, there. It's the side of a cliff," said Lisa. "If we went out that way, we'd just fall into the ocean down below, and that wouldn't be good for some of us. So that's where I come in."

Reaching deep into her Explorer bag, she whipped out a small, blue sphere. The space within it glowed with a dim light, as well as give off the image of an opened door, likely indicating something.

"Huh? What is that thing?" quizzed Leo.

"It's an Escape Orb. It'll take us out of here," explained Lisa. "Now, everyone gather towards me."

"Oh, wait a second," said Leo, before running over to his bag, which remained on the ground out of the way throughout the events, and tried to drag it across again.

Tokot and Susanshi approached him and helped. With the added strength, the bag began to shift across the floor and towards Lisa.

"Wait... I know Dynamaxx is a villain, but... We should probably take him with us," said Susanshi.

"Yes, of course," said Lisa. "We can turn him in to the mayor when we get back."

Lisa then lead the group over to the unconscious Loudred and gathered close together, along Leo's bag.

"OK, here we go!" announced Lisa, holding the Escape Orb into the air.

The spherical object began to eject a bright, white light from its center. Then, a beam of blue light shot down, enveloping everybody within it. Finally, the group were all whisked off the ground and straight up, before disintegrating into thin air along with the light beam.

The light beam reappeared outside the entrance of the mine, bringing the group down with it, before disappearing along with the Escape Orb.

Leo, in surprise, took a quick look around him.

"Yes! Fresh air! Sunlight! Oh, how I missed you!" he then applauded with glee.

"See? I told you I had a way out," reminded Lisa. "I came prepared."

"Whoa, I felt like every cell in my body just whizzed through time and space," commented Susanshi.

"Huh, what was that light?" a voice asked out of view.

At that moment, Carl, Jennifer, Jerald and an Exploud, a Pokémon similar in appearance to Dynamaxx, only with tube-like structures dotted around its body, showed up.

"Oh! Lisa! You're OK!" said Jerald.

"Sis! Please forgive me! I forgot the mine cart was out of order! I would've stopped you if I remembered!" Carl exclaimed hastily.

"Calm down, Carl, we're fine. We wouldn't be standing here if we weren't," assured Lisa.

"Yeah, I know that. It's just that... I kinda told Mom and Dad you could've died," said Carl with guilt.

"Oh damn it, Carl. Don't worry Mother and Daddy like that! The only real damage was the tracks inside the mine: this Loudred here destroyed them," explained Lisa.

"Yep, and the idiot even got himself trapped down there," added Tokot.

"Oh, he did, did he?!" questioned the Exploud. "Oh, he's in for it now."

At that present time, Dynamaxx regained his consciousness, stood back up onto his feet, and gasped in fright the moment he saw the Exploud.

"Uh oh! H-hi brother!" he nervously greeted.

"Skipper, what do you think you're doing down in the mine by yourself?" asked the Exploud.

"I...I... Nothing," lied Dynamaxx.

"Wh-wh-what? Skipper?" quizzed Leo in surprise.

"Yes, my younger brother's real name is Skipper," explained the Exploud. "Oh, and I'm Terfera, the mayor of Mining Village. Good to meet you."

Tokot then began to snicker, before laughing hysterically.

"Skipper! Skipper! PAHAHAHAHA! This guy just gets funnier and funnier!" he bellowed.

"Shut up! I am Dynamaxx! Not Skipper!" the Loudred snapped back, still coated in soot.

"He was trying to steal Gems from within the mine and sell them, then blew up the mine so nobody could access it," detailed Susanshi.

"Really now? What's the damage?" asked Terfera.

"A section of the tracks is destroyed, and the Water Gem cave is blocked off. Oh, and the mine cart's busted too," replied Lisa.

"So, he actually DID do something potentially hindering," said Terfera. "I never expected Skipper to do such a thing."

"I just wanted... Wanted to be rich," sobbed Dynamaxx.

"You'll just have to find some other way of doing it then. This dynamite business isn't the way to go," said Terfera. "Alright, enough playing around. Jennifer, Jerald, take him outta here."

"No! Please don't put me in jail! I'll behave now, I promise!" begged Dynamaxx with tears running down his face, clearing streaks of soot.

"Nah, I won't throw you away... I'll just...put you in solitary confinement," decided Terfera. "Oh, and maybe sentence you to a few months of community service. Yes, that's the best punishment. It'll pay off the damage you did down there."

"Noooo! I was so close to winning!" shouted Dynamaxx. "I would've gotten away with it if you...meddlers didn't show up!"

"Alright, enough. Let's get going," said Jerald as he and Jennifer grabbed him by one arm each and escorted him away.

"No! I'm sorry! I really mean it this time!" lamented Dynamaxx. "DON'T DO THIS TO MEEEEEeeeee...!"

His voice lowered as he was drawn further and further away from the scene.

"...What a loser," commented Tokot.

"Yep, that's Skipper for you," agreed Terfera. "He's a little thick, always doing stuff without thinking about consequence, even if it gets himself into trouble like that. So sorry you kids had to get caught up in this, especially you, Lisa. But yet, I have to thank you. Because of this wild coincidence, you were able to apprehend my foolish younger brother."

During this encouraging speech, Tokot was starting to get a little excited, his eyes gleaming and his smile brimming with confidence.

"Maybe...I could...reward you kids," suggested Terfera.

"Yes! Yes! Please do!" begged Tokot in his head.

"Aha! I know what kids love! Wait here!" said Terfera.

He made his way away from the group and entered one of the houses located close by. A short time later, he returned, now carrying five small, blue berries with freckle-like features and a stumpy green stalk on top.

"Kids love Oran Berries! Take them!" Terfera said as he handed Lisa, Alex, Leo, Susanshi and Tokot one each in that order. "I'd imagine you'll be hungry after today, so eat it!"

"Oh, um... Thank you," said Leo.

Tokot, however, stared down at his Oran Berry in disgust. In disapproval, he effortlessly crushed it in his hand, leaving the interior juice to run through his fingers.

"What's wrong? Don't like Oran Berries?" wondered Terfera.

"Money, please," said Tokot rudely.

"E-excuse me?" questioned Terfera back.

"Money! PokéDollars! Dosh! Cash! Something that'll stop me and my family from eating scrap crumbs tonight!" snapped Tokot.

"Ohhhh! You want a cash reward! Right, right, I get you," said Terfera.

He then went back into the house he previously entered, came back out and handed Tokot a bunch of golden coins.

"Yes! Finally, some money!" cheered Tokot. "How much is here?"

He then began to count the amount he held.

"One... Two... Three... Yes! 500 PokéDollars! We're having a proper dinner tonight!"

"Wow... This is the most happy I've ever seen Tokot," said Leo as Tokot danced about in massive joy.

"I guess this is his more jolly side," added Lisa.

"There. Now that's made you happy," said Terfera happily.

"All right! We got what we came for. If there's nothing left for us to do, then we'll be on our way," said Leo.

"Nope. I guess we're done here," said Susanshi.

"Same here," said Lisa.

"Then we're going to go head back to town now," said Leo.

"I see. Too bad you couldn't stay here longer, but I understand," said Terfera. "Explorers have duties, so I won't stop you."

"Well, bye Mr. Terfera. Thanks for the Oran Berries," said Leo. "Ah, but..."

He turned around to look at his bag of Water Gems lying on the ground.

"How will I get my bag back? I can barely shift it!"

"No worry, leave that to me!" announced Carl before running off somewhere.

"Huh? Where's he off to?" wondered Susanshi.

"Heh, he's going to bring 'it' out," said Lisa.

"What's 'it'? I don't like the sound of that..." replied a concerned Susanshi.

Shortly after, Carl returned, this time riding in a strange vehicle of sorts. It was single-seated and very basic in design, with a wooden base on top of four steel wheels, a simple steering wheel with a lever next to it, and an engine stuck to the back, leaving decent space between it and the back of the seat.

"Hop on and I'll take you back to town, no sweat!" announced Carl.

"I'm sorry, but what is that thing?" questioned Susanshi.

"She's my personal and highly reliable transportation thing!" declared Carl. "She's 'Carl's Awesomely Reliable Landtraveler'! Landtraveler's one word, by the way."

"So it's named after you? That's...creative," said Susanshi.

"Hehe, my brother's a little wacky, but he's still awesome," commented Lisa.

"Come on, everybody! Board the CARL!" invited Carl.

"Please help me get the bag onto it first," requested Leo.

"Ah, of course," said Terfera, before making his way to the bag, lifting it up with no trouble, and placing it into the back of the vehicle.

Susanshi, Tokot, Leo, Lisa and Alex all hopped on afterwards. They sat in the space between the engine and driver seat.

"All set? Then let's go!" exclaimed Carl, pulling the lever.

Black smoke began to raise from the engine with much noise.

"Oh, and mayor Terfera... Tell Mother and Daddy I said bye," said Lisa to Terfera.

"Will do, Lisa," said Terfera.

Then, the vehicle began to move forward, slowly gaining speed until it was around twice as fast as standard walking. It, along with its passengers, traveled through the entrance gate to the village.

Looking back, they all saw Terfera waving to them from within the village.

The CARL was traversing the fields on the way back to Sacreca Town as the time of day reached the evening period. The sun was sinking its way out of view in the distance, lighting the sky up with an orange tint.

"Psst, hey Lisa, can I tell you something honestly," whispered Susanshi to Lisa. "Even the mine cart was made better than this...thing."

"Shhh, don't let Carl hear that," whispered Lisa back. "It would highly discourage him.

"Huh? You talking about CARL back there?" wondered Carl, still at the wheel.

"Oh... We were just talking about how awesome she is," replied Lisa.

"I know! I built her, after all!" said Carl.

"That explains a lot," said Tokot.

"Shush!" muttered Lisa.

"Anyway, we should be back in town in about twenty more minutes," estimated Carl. "We'll definitely be there before the night comes."

Here's to a successful mission!" said Leo in excitement. "Just imagine how pleased Master Eag will be with us! Ooooooh, so much anticipation! ...Huh? I'm still holding the flashlight?"

And indeed, he was.

"Oh... Well, it's mine now, so I'll put it in my bag once I get it emptied. Oh, and this Oran Berry."

He took a bite out of the Berry he had previously been given.

"Mmm, juicy," he said with his mouth full.

"What's the deal with these bags, anyway?" asked Susanshi. "Both you and Lisa have one."

"Should be pretty obvious, but each team gets their own Explorer bag, used to carry whatever," explained Leo, after gulping down the Berry.

"Ah, of course, it makes sense," said Susanshi. "Although...it looks like it kind of gets in the way."

"It feels that way occasionally," said Leo. "But hey, I can't complain, it's just too useful!"

As the simple, yet still highly helpful lift, continued its voyage, Susanshi began to express her thoughts to herself about the events in the mine:

"Well, it sure was dangerous for my first mission in this world. But...it was actually pretty fun. Thrilling, even. Almost like a rush of adrenaline. Well, I can bet that this won't be the only time."

She then looked over at the horizon. The vibrant colors from the setting sun made it difficult to look away, as if everything before her was all just one giant work of art that held onto her attention.

"What a beautiful sunset... I sure don't see sunsets this glorious back home, what with all the towering buildings blocking things. I sure will miss this view..."


	8. A Breather

Chapter 8 - A Breather

A short while past, and many of the other Exploration teams have returned to the EA building, their own duties done and the night drawing closer. Master Eag was standing in front of the fountain in the front area of the EA exterior. He watched over both the young and old Explorers going about their business, from chatting to entering the building to rest. He also happened to be accompanied by another Pokémon: a Raichu, an orange entity resembling a mouse with a lightning bolt shaped tail.

"Hmm. It's getting late, but Team Revolution have not yet returned," he said to himself. "It's...worrying."

"They're still new to the EA, sir. I'm sure they're just taking their time. You know what the first day can be like," said the Raichu.

"Yes, you do have a good point, but if they get into trouble, then that won't exactly be good for us," said Master Eag.

He then took his glance over to the sky above to inspect the few clouds strolling across. And then, suddenly, he picked up the sound of something approaching. He looked back ahead to see a cheap car-like vehicle drawing in through the open entrance gates, smoke coming from its back engine. Various bystanders panicked at the sight and sound of the incoming wheeled traveler and ran out of its way, some even leaping away. The vehicle soon came screeching to a halt, just mere inches away from Master Eag and leaving tracks in the ground caused by the wheels.

"Aaaand here we are, the EA!" announced Carl, the driver of the vehicle.

"Ugh, rough ride, but at least we're here in one piece," said Tokot.

"Team Revolution?! Team RockAxe?!" exclaimed Master Eag in slight surprise.

"Master Eag, Master Eag! We did it! We got the Water Gems!" stated Leo.

"Really? Let's see them then," requested Master Eag.

"Of course, Master Eag!" replied Leo, grabbing the strap of his bag and attempting to pull it, but of course it didn't budge.

Tokot, sighing, helped Leo out by pulling it with him. Now the bag was moving, being dragged towards the direction of Master Eag. Reaching the edge of the vehicle, Leo fell off, causing the bag to tip over, spilling its contents onto the ground. Several dozens of glittering blue Gems laid lying, much to the pleasure of Master Eag, as well as a few other objects, mainly some Explorer gear and a tube of toothpaste.

"Ah, yes! These are the Water Gems I wanted!" Master Eag said in delight. "Yet... I didn't really need THIS many."

"But that's not all of them," said Lisa as she took out the few Water Gems she herself had been carrying, then placing them onto the floor on front of her.

"Well, it's plenty, at least," commented Master Eag. "You did well, though. I applaud you."

"Oh yeah! You know you did good when Master Eag compliments you!" said Leo happily.

He decided to jump right off the CARL. Susanshi and Tokot also disembarked.

"Huh? Leo, why are you carrying toothpaste around?" Susanshi wondered, spotting that exact thing on the floor, amongst the Water Gems and such.

"Uh... To-to keep my teeth clean, of course!" replied Leo.

"But I'm not seeing a toothbrush here..."

"It's, uh, still in my bag."

Leo was quick to pick up the toothpaste, before collecting his bag, placing it within, and equipping the bag.

"Right, I'll have these Water Gems taken away immediately."

He then turned around to face the Raichu.

"Andose, please take these Gems to the warehouse."

"Absolutely, sir" said the Raichu.

"Here you go," said Master Eag as he handed the Raichu a small silver key attached to some string.

"I'll take care of it right away, sir," replied the Raichu, taking the key and wearing it around his neck, much like a necklace.

Then, he proceeded to grab some of the Water Gems, as many as he could manage at once, and taking them away. He walked away from the sight, into the direction of town.

"Oh? Isn't that the newest recruit?" wondered Leo.

"Yes it is, Leo," confirmed Master Eag. "That Raichu is Andose. I hired him recently to be an assistant. He's already proven himself to be a big help around here."

"That's nice," commented Leo. "Anyway, do we maybe...get something for completing the mission?"

"Of course you do!" said Master Eag. "You get a cash prize!"

"Oh yeah, baby!" applauded Tokot.

"You get 500 PokéDollars each!" decided Master Eag, handing Susanshi, Tokot and Leo a gold coin each. "I had this money prepared for you in advance."

"Yes! This whole Explorer thing is finally taking me in the direction I want!" said Tokot. "I gotta get home right now!"

He ran off, clutching his money tightly.

"And off he goes," said Leo. "Uh, we'd better go after him."

"Um...OK," said Susanshi.

"Oh, you're going off on your own now?" wondered Lisa.

"Yeah. I'd say we've worked hard on our first mission, so we're going to just take some time to relax now," said Leo.

"Good idea, Leo. No Explorer should ever overdo it," said Master Eag. "You go now."

"Thanks, Master Eag. You too, Lisa. And Alex," said Leo.

"Hey, what about me?" wondered Carl after clearing his throat.

"Oh, and thanks to you, Carl, of course," said Leo.

"Then I shall take my leave!" said Carl. "Sis, take your Gems off the CARL, then I can return to the village."

"Of course," replied Lisa, grabbing the Water Gems she had been carrying, jumping off the CARL and adding them to the pile, ready for Andose to take away.

Alex also decided to get off. He stuck close to Lisa.

"Great, now my work is done. Catch you guys and girls later. I'm outta here," said Carl.

Revving up the engine, he steered his vehicle backwards, before driving away from the site through the entrance gates.

"Every second that thing moves, I always get this weird feeling of dread," commented Susanshi.

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Lisa.

"Well, haven't you seen that thing? It looks like it could fall apart any minute," said Susanshi.

"It was made with limited technology. Cut my brother some slack," said Lisa.

"Sorry, I guess I was just speaking my mind," said Susanshi. "So, about Tokot... We should go find him, right?"

"Yeah. Well, good thing I know where he'll go at a time like this," said Leo. "He'll be going to his garden shed, uh, I mean house. Follow me."

Making his way towards the entrance gates and leading Susanshi, he quickly realized he was forgetting something; he turned back around to Lisa and Alex.

"Oh, see you later, Lisa, Alex. It was nice having you as company," he called out.

"No problem. See you later," said Lisa as she waved.

Susanshi and Leo continued their trek, knowing they were seen off well.

"Those three... They...seem alright," said Alex.

"Warming up to them, are we?" wondered Lisa.

"Probably," replied Alex. "But Tokot... I don't like him very much..."

"It's still two out of three who are fine. Better than nothing."

"I hope I can talk to them a little more..."

"Well, Alex, that's all down to you."

Shortly after, Susanshi and Leo were walking through town, much like they did earlier that day.

"So, where does Tokot live exactly?" asked Susanshi.

"Well... You'd think he'd live in a decent house. But...he doesn't, being poor and such," said Leo.

Crossing the path between the buildings on either side, Leo guided Susanshi towards the side of Kex's Store and through the gap in the side. At a short distance away, behind the buildings of the town, was a rather shabby and ramshackle house built from wood messily nailed together. The front door was hanging off its hinges, there were several holes dotted about on the roof and the landscape itself was muddy and unappealing to the eyes.

"...That thing's his house?" questioned Susanshi. "I kind of see why you refer to it as a garden shed."

"Yes, it's Tokot's home," responded Leo. "Oh, do you hear that? It sounds like he's already bragging about the money he earned."

He was referring to the chitchat coming from inside the house. Leo took Susanshi over to the feeble residence and entered. Inside was a cheaply made table, with legs so low that seats couldn't possibly fit underneath it and four beds made simply out of dried leaves in the back. In terms of presence, there was Tokot, appearing out of usual character with enthusiasm brimming from his speaking, a Charizard, a Pokémon similar in looks to Tokot, only much taller and bearing wings, a female Swablu, a pint-sized bird-like Pokémon with fluffy, cotton-like wings, and a bigger Pokémon, Altaria, also female, with a similar appearance to the Swablu. The room felt hugely cramped with so many Pokémon inside at the same time.

"...And then, when I got back, Master Eag gave me another 500 PokéDollars!" concluded Tokot.

"Fantastic! Fantastic I say, Tokot! You make our family proud!" cheered the Charizard.

"Yay! Big bro's the best!" chirped the Swablu.

"1000 PokéDollars is quite a lot for our standards. It'll be more than enough to give us a good dinner," said the Altaria.

"Oh, big bro, we have company," said the Swablu, noticing Susanshi's and Leo's presence.

"Oh hey, my goofy idiot sidekick is here!" said Tokot.

"...Huh..." mumbled Leo.

"I'm referring to you, Leo," said Tokot.

"Who's the Piplup there?" wondered the Charizard. "Is she a new friend?"

"That's right, Mr. Pyrio," replied Leo. "This is Susanshi, our newest Explorer team member."

"It's...a pleasure to meet you" greeted Susanshi.

"Welcome to the household of our dear family. It's not much, but it's all we have, really," said the Charizard. "Anyway, my name is Pyrio. My wonderful mate here is Lilote."

"Nice to meet you," said the Altaria.

"And that is Fluffles, our adorable little daughter," continued Pyrio.

"Wow... She's kind of cute," said Susanshi.

"Teehee! Of course I am!" giggled the Swablu.

"My kid sister is the cutest Pokémon in all of Sacreca!" bragged Tokot. "Isn't that right, Fluffles?"

"Yes! I'm the cutest ever!" applauded Fluffles, before proceeding to run up to Tokot and cuddling him with her soft, cotton wings. Tokot had never appeared happier.

"Wow, that's so...precious," commented Susanshi.

"I know. This shows a totally different side to Tokot," said Leo. "You'd never guess he had a caring side to him."

"Well, it is family after all..." said Susanshi.

"And in celebration of Tokot's first success in the Explorer department, we'll have our first true feast in a long time!" cheered Pyrio.

"Yes! I'll take the Rawst pie!" exclaimed Tokot.

"Sky Gummis for me!" said Fluffles.

"Tonight, we'll order a takeaway!" said Lilote.

"So much better than a mere Oran Berry!" said Tokot.

"But first, you should all rest. I imagine you're all pretty tired from your first mission," said Pyrio.

"Yes, of course," said Leo. "I'm thinking of taking Susanshi somewhere in town. A bit of introduction, you could say."

"Hmm... Sounds good, but where will we go?" asked Susanshi.

"How about the library?" suggested Lilote.

"Yes! It's perfect! And it's open for at least another hour at this time!" said Leo.

"Oh, yeah, I guess I'll spend some time there," said Susanshi. "Just relax a bit and maybe read a few books. I've become...curious about the knowledge of the Pokémon of Sacreca."

"Sounds like you're not from around here," said Pyrio.

"No, I'm from a distant land," replied Susanshi.

"...Makes sense to me," commented Pyrio. "But when you're ready, get going."

"I guess we're going now then," said Susanshi.

"Yep, the sooner we get there, the longer we can stay there," said Leo. "It's open for another hour."

"Then I'll go right away," decided Susanshi. "Tokot, are you coming with us?"

"Uh, I guess so," replied Tokot. "I'll see you later, Fluffles."

"See you later, big bro," said Fluffles, finally letting go of Tokot.

"I'll be back in time for dinner, I guarantee it," said Tokot. "Alright, let's get going!"

As himself, Leo and Susanshi left the house, Tokot's calmness seemed to fade away, being replaced by the more familiar attitude.

"Great, I have to hide my true feelings from my own family. I hate doing that," he mumbled.

"Well, his kindness was short-lived," said Susanshi.

"Shut it," said Tokot rudely.

Several minutes after departing from Tokot's home, the gang stood before a large, white, single-floored structure, complete with automatic doors that opened when presence was sensed before them, along with windows forming much of the walls.

"Here it is," said Leo.

"Doesn't look very different from the library back at home," said Susanshi. "A good thing, I guess, as I won't have to get too used to it."

"Yo, Susanshi, don't you think you should stop comparing our world to yours?" questioned Tokot. "It's just unfair..."

"What? I'm comparing to what's familiar to me, not trying to diss your own land or anything," claimed Susanshi.

"Whatever. Let's just go inside already," said Tokot.

The gang approached the front doors, which slid open to allow for their entrance. The inside of the library was spacious, filled with many shelves containing books of many varying thickness, colors and topics. The interior walls were of a pure white and the floor was covered with a plush, midnight-blue carpet that gave comfort to the feet.

"Wow, it's really impressive," said Susanshi.

"Yep, it's the biggest library in all of Sacreca," said Leo. "In fact, it's the only library in Sacreca. Uh, I think so, anyway..."

"Welcome!" said a voice form somewhere maybe.

Then, an Aipom, a small purple monkey with a hand-like appendage at the end of its tail, showed up.

"And who are you?" asked Susanshi.

"I'm Richard! My job is to maintain this here establishment," explained the Aipom.

"So you're the librarian then," said Susanshi.

"Well, one of them. I'm more of an assistant," said Richard. "The real owner is Scrut, but he's currently unavailable, so he left me in charge until he returns. But anyway, your presence here must mean you're here to browse through our wondrous collection of written works. No! Don't tell me! I KNOW you're here for that! No need to tell me!"

"Well..." uttered Leo, before being interrupted by Richard.

"I knew it! Well then, allow me to give a recommendation! Knowledge is candy for the brain, as I say!" he said. "Hmmmm... Pokémon fact books, maybe? We have one book for every known Pokémon in the world, totaling over 700. although that may be a little too much. History of Sacreca? Hmm... But you kids don't look very interested in that... Hmmmmmm... Aha! I know! Human studies! I'm sure you're all highly curious of the foreign beings known as humanoids. Yes, I'm certain of it! We have a section dedicated entirely to our knowledge of them. The way they tick, how they live their lives, all that stuff. Come with me!"

Insisting that Susanshi, Leo and Tokot all followed him, Richard guided them through the library. He took them to a shelf located about halfway through the collection of books, labeled "Human Studies".

"These are all the books you have on humans, eh?" wondered Susanshi. "Should be...interesting."

"It is, actually!" claimed Richard. "Humans are such fascinating creatures at times. The way they've been reported to desperately try to grasp everything about our own kind is just...painful, though. Almost embarrassing, even."

He then climbed his way up the front of the bookshelf, grabbing a thin book from near the top with his hand tail, then climbing back down.

"This is an interesting one. Give it a look," he requested, passing the book to Susanshi.

She examined the front cover of the 30-something paged book. It stated "Human Reproduction: An illustration book by C. R. Costa". The cover also showed a blue male symbol and pink female symbol lined together.

"...Human reproduction? I don't know if I should read this..." said a doubtful Susanshi.

"Why not? It's a great read! It's illustrated with highly detailed diagrams, all explained in a way I'm certain you'll understand," explained Richard.

"Oh... OK then, I'll give it a look," said Susanshi.

Then, in her mind, she said to herself:

"It's just that this is not the most comfortable subject for us."

With Tokot and Leo watching over her shoulders, she opened the book to the first page, which was the contents page. She flicked through a few more pages and glanced at what the book was now open to. Her eyes investigating what the book presented, she grumbled a little to herself.

"Is there something wrong?" asked Richard, picking up her grumbling. "Are you too heavily drawn into it?"

"...This isn't right," commented Susanshi.

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Richard.

Susanshi, instead of answering, flicked through some more pages, skimming through each one, then stopping at a double-paged illustration.

"This...is all wrong," she commented.

"Huh? What are you saying?!" questioned Richard in disbelief.

"I mean the facts in this book... They're wrong," said Susanshi. "That picture on that previous page... It's not accurate. And this big picture I'm seeing right now... It's all wrong. This isn't how things work. That doesn't even..."

"No! You're crazy! You must be!" exclaimed Richard.

"Also, that doesn't happen at that stage," continued Susanshi. "It's no magic or anything, just a normal human function."

"Well, this is sure to piss off the professionals," commented Tokot.

"You really are crazy, aren't you?!" snapped Richard. "You dare question the work of C. R. Costa, the most acclaimed studier of humans in Sacreca?! Do you have any idea what he went through to get this knowledge?!"

"I'd rather not know how," said Susanshi. "Well, however he got it, if this is how Pokémon think humans reproduce, then they need to try again. Just saying."

"Nonsense!" barked Richard. "Where do you even get the gall to claim you even know this book is wrong?!"

"Because I... I..." stuttered Susanshi.

"Careful now, Susanshi," whispered Leo with a nervous smile upon his face.

"...I just have a hunch about it," claimed Susanshi.

"What a load of garbage!" shouted Richard. "If C. R. Costa ever learned about your defiance towards his works... Man, he would flip!"

"Richard!" exclaimed a voice from behind Richard.

Richard knew exactly who that voice belonged to, as he turned around nervously to confront whoever was standing behind him. There, towering over him, was a beaver Pokémon known as a Bibarel, frowning down at him.

"Ah! Sir! I didn't expect you back so soon!" panicked Richard.

"Richard, Thith, ith a library, ith it not?" questioned the Bibarel.

His 'S' sounds were lisped due to his overly large buck teeth.

"You of all people thould know that you're meant to be quiet in the library. Did you forget that?"

"B-but sir! This Piplup here is claiming ever so ignorantly that C. R. Costa's work is inaccurate!" stated Richard.

"What? How dare they do that! C. R Cotha'th work ith the betht in...!" exclaimed the Bibarel, stopping to regain his cool. "Um, I mean, you thtill thouldn't raithe your voice like that."

"I...I'm sorry, Scrut, sir," lamented Richard, his hands clasped together. "You'll forgive me, right?"

"Yeah, I'll forgive you for now," replied the Bibarel.

"Phew, thank you, sir," said Richard with much relief.

"Oh, this must be Scrut then," guessed Leo.

"Yeth, that'th me, the owner of this here library," confirmed Scrut. "I thincerely apologize for the behavior of my athithtant here."

"...Come again? Athithtant? What's that?" quizzed a puzzled Leo.

"Athithant. You know, thomeone who helpth out another," explained Scrut with slight aggravation.

"Oooooh, you mean 'assistant'!" realized Leo. "It's just that your accent's a little odd."

"It ith no accent! My 'Th' thoundth come out funny!" snapped Scrut.

"Well, so much for keeping quiet in the library," Tokot said cheekily.

"W-we're sorry if we caused any trouble, Scrut," said Susanshi. "We won't let it happen again. We promise!"

"Well... If you mean it, then I gueth I'll let you go thith time," said Scrut. "In fact, I thould be thorry too. I have a quick, temper, you thee. I thouldn't have thnapped like that. Pluth, rather than continue thith thilly argument, let'th forget all about it. Pleathe, retht a little in the time my library hath left today. Here, why not read more from our human thection."

He grabbed hold of a random book from the bookshelf and handed it over to Susanshi.

Inspecting the front cover, titled "The Human Life Cycle: An illustration book by C. R. Costa", she stood silent, almost like she was completely frozen with uncertainty.

"Oh? What'th the matter?" wondered Scrut.

"Um... I think I'll pass on this one," said Susanshi, before dropping the book onto the floor and running off, refusing to look back. She left the library through the automatic doors.

"Oh, um... Thanks for letting us stay here," said Leo.

Then, he chased after Susanshi.

"She just didn't want to cause more awkwardness about the human section," said Tokot, before following after Leo.

"Huh, well that wath...odd," said Scrut.

"Sir, do you think the Piplup may really know something we don't?" asked Richard.

"Who knowth, Richard. Who knowth," replied Scrut.

Leo and Tokot were now back outside, the automatic doors closing behind their backs as they ran over to Susanshi, who was standing a few feet away from the library with her back turned.

"Geez, that was awkward as hell. Thanks for that, Susanshi," remarked Tokot.

"Hey, it was just as uncomfortable for me," said Susanshi, turning back around. "I can't help being human and knowing the REAL facts.

"Well, you can at least help not giving away your true identity," said Tokot. "What you did there could've blown your cover! Then what would we do?!"

"Tokot, take it easy! I'm sure Richard and Scrut haven't suspected anything!" said Leo.

"Just...no more of what happened back there," insisted Tokot. "Well, thanks to that, the time passed a little. I'm going back home right now. I have a feast to enjoy."

"O...K, you do that then," said Susanshi.

"Yes, and as much as I'd hate to say this right now, see you tomorrow," said Tokot.

Parting on his own, he left Leo and Susanshi behind.

"Well, today sure was wild," commented Susanshi.

"But exciting. This is what it feels like to be an Explorer! said Leo. "Oh man, I'm so psyched for tomorrow! Who knows what adventure we'll start!"

"You seem happy," said Susanshi. "But it seems you forgot that I'm not really here for the thrill of adventure. In fact, I shouldn't be here, period. It's getting close to the end of the day, yet I still have no idea what to do."

"These things can take time, Susanshi," said Leo. "For now, we should just do what we can until you learn something. But not now, it's getting late. I'm going home now. You can come sleep there tonight."

"I appreciate the offer, and I'd be stupid to decline it, so thanks," said Susanshi.

"Great, let's go there right now," said Leo.

A short time later, the duo returned to Leo's home, with Grenouille anticipating their coming. She had prepared food for them in advance, which she left on plates that sat on the table.

"Ah, Leo! You're finally back!" she greeted. "How was your first day?"

"It was great!" replied Leo. "We went to the Mining Village and blew up a bad guy there!"

"The Mining Village? You went all the way there?" quizzed Grenouille. "That's awfully far for your first day."

"Yeah, but we'll only go even further out there from here on out," said Leo.

"You must be tired, so I prepared some dinner for you two," said Grenouille.

"Ah, thank you very much," said Leo. "What do you have for us?"

"Fresh salad and tomato soup, still hot!" announced Grenouille.

"Yes! My favorite!" cheered Leo.

Running up to the table in excitement, he sat down in one of the surrounding chairs, picked up a spoon lying next to the bowl of soup, then finally proceeding to dip it into the soup and slurp it lovingly down.

"What do I get?" asked Susanshi.

"There was a problem deciding what you'd want, so I just made you the same dish as Leo's: Fresh salad and tomato soup," said Grenouille.

"Ugh, vegetables and soup? Don't you have some meat and gravy?" questioned Susanshi.

"M-meat?! No, we don't do cannibalism around here," replied Grenouille in slight shock. "And sorry, no gravy."

"Oh, well... I guess I...could try what I've got," said Susanshi.

She approached the second set of salad and soup, which was next to Leo, sat down in front of it and took hold of the spoon.

"Try it! It's delicious!" assured Leo.

Susanshi, with slight doubt in her mind, dipped her spoon into the soup, filling it up with the warm, deep-red nutriment. Holding it up to her beak, she took a small sip, spent a little time tasting it, then finally swallowed.

"Hmm.. Hey, it's good," she commented.

She took some more of the soup into the spoon, then swallowing it without wasting any time with just tasting. She repeated this process over and over.

"Haha, I knew you wouldn't be able to resist it!" said Leo.

"Well, there's a relief. Now I know I didn't waste time making it," said Grenouille.

In virtually no time, Susanshi's soup bowl was completely empty. She had even licked it clean.

"Ahhh... That was good," she said, rubbing her belly.

Then, a small burp came out of her mouth.

"Oops, pardon me," she said, covering her mouth up with her flippers.

"Something tells me you really enjoyed it," commented Leo. "But you're not quite done yet; you still have the salad."

"Oh, well OK, I guess I'll try some," said Susanshi.

With no other known way to handle the pieces of salad, she took hold of it with her bare hands, biting a small piece off and chewing on it, moving it back and forth through her inner cheeks. She eventually swallowed it, although with slight disdain.

"Hmmm... I don't think salad's my kind of thing," she said.

"Oh, that's too bad. I'll just have to not serve you it from now on," said Grenouille.

"No matter. At least there's something you like," said Leo.

"Well, there's your fuel for tonight. You should go to bed soon," said Grenouille.

"Bed? Already?" questioned Susanshi.

"It's getting late, and you'll be busy again tomorrow. You'll need all the energy you can get," said Grenouille.

"Ohhh... OK then," mumbled Susanshi.

"Just let me finish this off first," said Leo.

After a few more minutes, he finished off his own dinner.

Some time later, Susanshi and Leo were sat up in one bed each, lying adjacent together and at the back of the room. Susanshi's bed came with a snug, red blanket, and Leo's sported a green one. Grenouille was already fast asleep in her own bed, located on the second floor beyond the ladder. Leo's bag and scarf were no longer present on him, instead lying at the bottom of the bed, along with Susanshi's armband. The moon of night was also hanging up high in a dark sky.

"Nighttime has quite the contrast to the day, doesn't it?" pondered Leo.

"Yes, the night gives off quite an ambiance." agreed Susanshi.

"Susanshi... Can I...ask you something?" quizzed Leo.

"Oh? What is it?"

"What is it like...back at your own home? You know, the human world."

"The human world? Well, it's very different from this, that's for sure."

Susanshi began to stare out of the side window, which was on the other side of the room, behind Leo's bed, and streaming moonlight through from the outside.

"Home... Yes... It's this lively and brisk city."

"A city? You mean that thing we call a...concrete jungle?!" asked Leo with surprise.

"Yeah, that," confirmed Susanshi.

"Wow! Awesome!"

"Anyway, I live in this apartment with my mother. It's on the nineteenth floor of this building and the view at night is just spectacular. Yeah... I never get tired of that view. I bet you would love it as well."

"So, you have family back home? I consider that lucky, but...what about your father?"

"My father? ...I'd rather not talk about him. Anyway, the view is best during the night. The city really comes to life at night, what with all those lights on. Ah... Me thinking of home now is bringing memories back to me... Some of my most cherished memories. Like that one Christmas time... I was eight at the time. It was snowing lightly outside, and I just woke up. I was so excited to see my presents. I ran to the tree in the house, and there they were, all shapes and sizes. I naturally opened the biggest present first, but to my surprise, it was empty.

I was ready to cry from disappointment, but then my mother showed up... She was holding something in her arms... A Lillipup. She told me the Lillipup was the present meant for the empty box I had just opened. It was my new pet. I was so happy. Everything else I got that day was good too, but nothing could compare to the Lillipup. He was my best friend. I trained him to battle, like what some humans at home were known to do. I still have that Lillipup today. Well, actually he's a Herdier now, but he's still the same adorable little puppy I received that day. We would go down to the local park, play catch, challenge others to battles, and all the other stuff. Ah, good times... Good times..."

A small tear appeared in the corner of her left eye after her recollection.

"Wow, that's the most heartwarming tale I've ever heard," said an inspired Leo.

"Yeah, I wonder how my mom and Herdier are doing," wondered Susanshi. "I bet they're worried about me. Because for all they know, I've been abducted from my bed, or I've run away. I just want... I just want to go home! I don't want then to worry! I want to go back, even just to assure them I'm OK! Ugh, why am I even here? Why did I get dragged to this world?! It's too confusing!"

She was now full-out crying.

"Susanshi, please! Calm down, you'll wake Grenouille up!" said Leo in concern.

"I...I'm sorry, I got emotional," said Susanshi, wiping the tears away. "I should just...go to sleep now."

"Good idea. I should sleep too," said Leo. "But please, cheer up. Don't cry. We WILL get you back home, I promise. I'll be there every step of the way until we do."

"Th-thanks, Leo. You're a good...person," muttered Susanshi.

"You can thank me later," said Leo.

"Well, I'd better go to sleep now."

"Yeah, me too. Oh wait, one more thing... So, uh... How do humans really reproduce?"

Susanshi simply just stared at Leo with a blank and disapproving face.

"...Goodnight, Leo," she said, before lying down on her side, ready to sleep.

"...Goodnight, Susanshi," said Leo softly.

And his mind, he was feeling a little disappointed that Susanshi refused to answer his question, but he decided not to let it bother him. He then laid down and closed his eyes, ready to make his own descent into the world of dreams.


	9. The Threat Emerges

Chapter 9 - The Threat Emerges

The morning sun had now risen, expelling the darkness of night. The sunlight shined onto Susanshi's face, making her eyes twitch. Opening them, she sat up in her bed and looked down at her hands. Nothing about her appearance changed, as she still had flippers.

"Nope, still a Piplup," she sighed.

Then, at that moment, Leo woke up. Letting out a big yawn while stretching his arms out, he sat up and faced Susanshi.

"Ahhh... Morning, Susanshi," he greeted. "Ready for another day of adventure?"

"Yeah, I guess so," replied Susanshi.

"Great! Let's have a quick snack and go head to the EA!" said Leo. "Maybe we'll stick with doing jobs from the job list if there's nothing else for us to do."

Leaping straight out of his bed, he equipped himself with his scarf. Following suit, Susanshi slowly crawled her way out of her own bed, sliding off and putting her armband back onto her left arm. She discovered Grenouille already awake, preparing breakfast.

"Good morning!" she hailed. "You're just in time for breakfast. Today, it's a glass of orange juice and strawberries covered in cream."

"Eesh, Leo, you're really conscious about having a healthy diet!" commented Susanshi.

"Hehe, yeah. I love fruit and veg!" chuckled Leo.

"Can't get any healthier than that," said Grenouille.

"Well, surely you like at least some kind of dessert once in a while!" said Susanshi.

"Of course I do!" responded Leo. "I love myself the occasional ice cream sundae!"

"Hmm... Well, I could use more fruit and veg in my own diet," said Susanshi. "Let me have some of that."

Grenouille had finished preparing two helpings of one glass of orange juice and one bowl of strawberries, coated heavenly in cream. Susanshi sat herself down at the table, proceeding to firstly have a sip of the orange juice. She drank about one third of the whole glass before setting the drink down, then moving on by grabbing the spoon lying next to the bowl of strawberries and cream. She dug the spoon into the dish, pulling up a single cream-soaked strawberry and popping it in her mouth. After chewing it, she swallowed it. She could feel it slipping down her throat, creating a hearty and pleasing feeling.

"You like it, don't you?" quizzed Leo.

"Yeah, actually. It's good, no lie," replied Susanshi.

"Coming here actually did you some good!" said Leo.

"Uh, yeah, I guess so," replied Susanshi.

It didn't take long for Susanshi to finish off eating her strawberries and cream. With the whole bowl now empty, she concluded with one last gulp of the remaining orange juice.

"Ahhh, I'm stuffed," she said.

"Me too," said Leo, after just finishing his own serving. "Now we're all set. Let's get out there, reunite with Tokot and show Sacreca just what we're made of!"

Standing up from his chair, he reached for his bag, carrying it over his shoulder, and running over to the front door.

"See you later, Grenouille!" he called out as he exited.

"Take care!" Grenouille replied.

"Wait up!" called Susanshi, chasing after him.

Now outside, she caught up with Leo, who was standing still in the middle of the street. The town itself was strangely silent. There was no sign of activity whatsoever.

"Say... Does the town seem a little...deserted to you?" wondered Leo.

"Huh? That's odd. Where is everybody?" asked Susanshi.

"Is the town quarantined or something?" asked Leo.

"That can't be good," said Susanshi in concern.

Then, they heard a voice calling to them from nearby.

"HEEEEEY! LEOOOO!" it bellowed.

Turning their attention to the left, they spotted a Helioptile, a yellow, lizard-shaped Pokémon sporting black floppy ear-like frills and wearing a rather snazzy blue bow tie running towards them.

"Oh? Mark? What's going on?" quizzed Leo.

"There's no time to explain here! Come to the assembly hall, quick!" exclaimed the Helioptile, huffing and puffing.

Without taking any time to rest, he ran off in the direction from whence he came.

"Let's go, Susanshi! This could be big!" said Leo with a determined face.

He quickly began to chase after the Helioptile.

"What's with all this running?" complained Susanshi, chasing along behind Leo.

Minutes later, Mark, Leo and Susanshi had reached the EA building's main entrance. Going through its open doors and then through a pair of opened double doors at the back of the foyer. Within was a huge room with a stage-like structure at the back with steps on the left side leading up onto it. The room was also packed heavily with Pokémon, consisting of Explorers and townsfolk. The air was saturated with high levels of gossip.

"Whoa, it's like some kind of meeting," commented Leo.

Then, within the back of the crowd, where he, Susanshi and Mark were, he spotted Tokot, along with his whole family. Approaching him, he muttered:

"Hey, Tokot! Do you know what's going on?"

Alerted by the voice, Tokot turned around.

"Late again, I see," he said. "The whole town's in an uproar today!"

"I can hear that," said Leo, commenting on the amount of noise in the vicinity.

At that point, Mark turned up next to Susanshi, Leo and Tokot. He was also accompanied by an Elekid, a yellow Pokémon with black stripes on its side and a lightning bolt marking on its body, complete with viridian green bandana. On his head was a hitching Joltik, a teeny yellow bug with beady blue eyes and a piece of black string loosely tied around the neck to act as a scarf.

"Hey, Team Revolution! You made it!" said the Joltik.

"Oh, hi Nano," said Leo back. "So you know our team name now.

"Well, news like that spreads very quickly," said the Joltik.

"Oh, Susanshi, this is Team Thunderbolt, by the way." said Leo. "You remember Mark here, of course. The Elekid here is Sparks. Creative, I know, hehe. And that's Nano the Joltik, the leader."

"Sure is pint-sized for a leader..." commented Susanshi.

"I may be small, but I'm a worthy leader!" announced Nano with pride.

"Oh! What am I doing? I haven't learned what's going on yet!" realized Leo. "Uh, hehe. I'm still half asleep, I guess."

"Well, this oughta wake you wide up," said Tokot. "A big meeting like this means there's something serious happening. And it is serious: there's been a murder!"

Leo and Susanshi, upon having this news reach the ears, were left in complete shock.

"W-w-w-w-w-what?! A...a murder?!" stuttered Leo.

"You heard it right, Leo. A muuuurdeeeer, repeated Tokot.

"Whoa... That's...brutal," said Susanshi. "Who would do such a horrible thing?"

"Nobody knows yet," said a voice from close by.

It was Lisa, along with Alex, incoming from the left.

"Oh, Lisa. I get there was a murder, but why are we all gathered here for this?" asked Leo.

"Master Eag summoned all Explorers and townspeople to gather here in the assembly hall. He says he wants to speak to everyone about the incident," interpreted Lisa. "We still don't know much about what exactly happened, other than the fact that it happened late last night."

"Wow, that's kind of hard to believe. I mean, we were all asleep at the time. It chills me to know that someone got killed during that time," said Susanshi.

"Yes, it's scary..." mumbled Alex.

Nobody, other than Lisa, picked up what he said, since he spoke so quietly and the mass gossiping only added to it.

"Oh? What was that? I couldn't hear you," said Susanshi.

"He said it's scary," said Lisa. "Alex doesn't like repeating himself, so please excuse him."

"Oh, Master Eag's finally arrived!" declared Tokot.

And indeed, Master Eag had appeared from the back of the assembly hall, making his way through the crowd.

"Please excuse me," he said as he traveled through the mass gathering, members of such shifting away to allow him through.

He was also being followed by Andose, Alenia and Bevscot, as well as a Shrommish, a small mushroom Pokémon, and a female Lombre, a blue-and-green Pokémon with a lily pad in its head. The two of them were both sulking in grief. They were also joined by one last Pokémon: a tall, purple Nidoking wearing a white collar around the neck, followed by a black tie. Soon, this whole group reached the stage in the front. Stepping up the steps, he parked himself in the middle of the stage. Bevscot, Andose and the Nidoking stood to his right, Alenia, the Shroomish and the Lombre all stood on his left.

"About time he appeared. I was getting tired of waiting!" moaned Tokot.

"Wait, who's the Nidoking?" wondered Susanshi.

"That's Gordon, mayor of Sacreca Town and prime minister of Sacreca," explained Leo. "Master Eag is also actually the main councilor. The two of them are pretty much the force behind everything that goes on in this world."

"Oh great, politics," groaned Susanshi.

Master Eag, holding his magnificent wings into the sky, drew in breath.

"Silence, now!" he shouted with all the force his lungs could manage.

With the Braviary's words, the noise of chatter faded away into nothingness. Everybody within the hall drew their attention forward to Master Eag. The once loud zone was now still and quiet, with only the auditory sense taking priority.

"Thank you kindly," said Master Eag. "Now then, on to business. I, Master Eag, AKA Wuodecus XIV, and your mayor, Gordon, have summoned you all here today because of a tragic incident. At approximately 10:37 PM last night, an innocent citizen of Sacreca was murdered near the Aqua Falls area."

"Aqua Falls?! Oh no, not there!" whispered a startled Lisa.

"Huh? What's so special about Aqua Falls?" asked Susanshi in whisper.

"Me and Alex go there often during our free time. It's one of our sort of personal spots to relax together at," replied Lisa.

"I have with me the two only known witnesses of the murder," continued Master Eag. "I ask for your deepest remorse for them both, as the victim was a member of their own family."

The Lombre and Shroomish both walked up in front of Master Eag. The Lombre, with a big sniff, began to talk.

"D-Danohus was...the greatest guy I ever knew," sobbed the Lombre. "He was a great Breloom, but most importantly...he...he was a great father. Our son, Cappy, and I were unfortunate to have to see him...get killed as unlawfully as he did. Whoever it was that did it... All he did was keep trying to force Danohus to give him information about the falls. I...I don't know what it was..."

The Lombre was starting to weep even more, covering her face up with her hands and trembling.

"I...I'm sorry. I-I can't go on."

"Mommy, please... Try to cheer up, please!" begged the Shroomish.

The two then embraced one another, still sobbing.

"It's OK, Wendorm. You don't have to carry on. I'll take it from here," said Master Eag.

"Th-thank you, Master Eag," said the Lombre, returning herself and Cappy to his side.

"As you can see, the mate and son of the victim are highly grief-stricken," said Master Eag. "As a result, I shall continue giving the details. These two, along with the victim, were on a camping trip around Sacreca. They were ready to set up camp near the Aqua Falls site when it happened. Now, I apologize for the grim details, but I feel I must say. Last night, Danohus the Breloom was killed by a fatal attack by an unknown Pokémon, who, I am told, cut Danohus's neck.

"His neck was cut? Man, what a nasty way to go," muttered Tokot.

"That's awful! Who would do such a terrible thing?" wondered Lisa quietly to herself.

"Lisa, I don't like the sound of that," mumbled Alex.

"Don't worry, Alex. It'll be fine, I promise," responded Lisa.

"The identity of the suspect is not known, but from the information these two are able to give me, he is a Weavile wearing steel armor and a black cape."

The description quickly activated the memory of Leo, Tokot, Lisa, Alex and Susanshi.

"Weavile? In armor? I've...seen that before," said Leo to himself.

"VASCIOUS!" shouted Susanshi abruptly with a look of sheer shock.

Everybody else within the hall turned their glancing attention to Susanshi.

"Hmm? You, over there! Yes you, Susanshi! What was that you just said?" questioned Master Eag.

"Vascious!" repeated Susanshi.

"Excuse me? Vascious?" quizzed Master Eag. "Do you by any chance know anything about the suspect? If you do, then please, step onto the stage and inform us of what you know."

Susanshi nervously began to inch her way forward as the many glaring eyes watched her movement. Approaching the stage, she elevated up the steps and towards Master Eag.

"Any information you might have will prove vital, Susanshi. Don't hold anything back," ordered Master Eag.

Susanshi, still at unease, faced the crowd that still refused to look elsewhere. With a small gulp, she opened her mouth to pass on her knowledge.

"Well... Yesterday, me and my team were journeying across the field to the north, when we saw this Weavile in armor stood by himself," she recalled.

"What was he doing there?" asked Master Eag.

"I...I don't know too well. All I know is that he was talking about learning the 'secrets of the tower', and that he came to Sacreca to do so," continued Susanshi.

"So... He's not from Sacreca, it would seem," decided Master Eag. "Did he say anything else in particular, like did he maybe hint about hurting anyone?"

"No, he didn't," replied Susanshi. "He pretty much never mentioned doing anything particularly evil or wrong. That's all I know. Wait! I just remembered something else about him! Whoever he is, he appeared to know about a lot of the ancient civilization that once roamed this land all those years ago. He also acted...really fascinated by the whole subject."

"Is that so? Well, thank you for telling us all you know," said Master Eag.

Both he and Gordon soon exchanged looks for a moment.

Master Eag then began to speak to himself in his mind. He appeared to look a little worried.

"No, it can't be. If this Vascious character is really here to get into the tower... This is a foul omen..."

Talking out of his mouth and hiding his worry, he then said:

"Everyone, it is time for action to come into effect. All access to the Aqua Falls site for EA members and town residents is strictly prohibited until further notice. We will dispatch an investigation team to the site of the crime, and we need nobody in the way while they work there. I apologize profoundly if this feels like a restriction to you all, but I just cannot take the risk. Your safety is of high priority. I shall instruct Andose and Bevscot here to hold off on posting any Aqua Falls jobs onto the job list. Now, one last thing. If you ever see Vascious, please stay away from him. Do not attempt to make contact with him, as he is considered extremely dangerous. In the event that you spot him, please inform either me or the SPF immediately.

I am hoping... Hoping that we will find this Vascious character. Hoping that we will capture him, and bring him to justice! But until then...take extreme caution out there. That concludes this meeting. Thank you for your time. You are now free to go. Dismissed!"

With the meeting now over, members of the crowd began to part from the assembly hall. The noise of gossip also returned.

"Wow, that is all so hard to swallow," said Leo.

"Bah, I knew that guy was rotten," said Tokot. "It took me one look of him to know that. ONE look!"

"The SPF?" pondered Susanshi.

"Sacreca Police Force," explained Lisa. "Their station is in town. They're led by an Electivire named Valitino, and let me tell you, he takes his work very seriously. A crime like this would probably have him fuming!"

"Still, he sounds reliable," said Susanshi.

"Oh, he certainly is," confirmed Lisa. "Anyway, I'm going to go hang around for a while."

"Hang around? But what about doing...you know...Explorer stuff?" wondered Susanshi.

"Yeah, about that... Well...it's Alex," said Lisa. "It's still a little early for him right now. He has a schedule of sorts. Around this time, he'd be alone at his 'quiet spot'."

"Alone? Doesn't that worry you at all?" wondered Susanshi.

"Not at all. It's just what he's comfortable with," replied Lisa.

"Oh, OK... If you say so," said Susanshi. "Well then, Leo, what are we doing today? Still working off the job list? Whatever that is..."

"It's a bunch of corkboards hung up in the foyer. Jobs for Explorers are posted on them, so all we have to do is pick one and try to complete it," stated Leo.

"Ah, makes sense," said Susanhi.

"But... We're not going to be taking jobs..." said Leo. "We're..."

He checked his surroundings, almost as if he was making sure nobody was listening in on him. Assured that no one was, he then quietly said:

"We're going to Aqua Falls."

"Oh, and how did I know you'd say that?" questioned Tokot.

"What?! Are you being serious? If Master Eag found out you went somewhere you're not supposed to go, you get into big trouble!" exclaimed Lisa.

"Let's be honest here: Master Eag's only truly denying access to Aqua Falls so that the investigation team can do their job. And besides, I doubt Vascious will hang around the site of a crime he himself committed, so there shouldn't be any real trouble," explained Leo.

"Yeah, I guess. But you really shouldn't even think of going," said Lisa in doubt.

"But we're Team Revolution! We will do great things!" remarked Leo.

"Hmph, even if it means making stupid decisions like this?" asked Tokot.

"Huh, I think Lisa's right, Leo. We probably shouldn't go," said Susanshi.

"No, my mind's already set; we ARE going to Aqua Falls," confirmed Leo.

"...Fine, go then. I won't stop you," sighed Lisa.

"I knew you'd see this the way I would!" said Leo. "Right, we're going to sneak off to Aqua Falls. My map should lead the way."

Opening up his bag, he took out his map, unrolled it and began to inspect it.

"OK, so we need to head south through Jade Meadow until we reach Seashell Shore, then carry on west. That's where Aqua Falls is. It's a huge waterfall fueled by Aqua Lake, which is at the top of the cliffs there. OK, seems simple enough, let's go, team! Oh wait, one more thing. Lisa...I'd appreciate it if you kept this a secret from everybody. The last thing we'd want is to be busted."

"Yes, I'll tell nobody, I promise," said Lisa. "I'm still against this, but the decision isn't mine. Just be careful, OK? I won't be there to get you out of trouble."

"Don't you worry! We'll come back safely! And hopefully with something that'll help out in the capturing of Vascious," said Leo.

"You're always so confident, Leo. Don't you think it's your weakness?" pondered Susanshi.

"An optimistic mind is beneficial for Explorers, Susanshi," claimed Leo.

"Yeah, but you should at least drop the overconfidence," suggested Susanshi. "This probably won't be as easy as our time in the mine yesterday. Things may only get harder from now on."

"If they do, we should just give it our all," replied Leo. "Time to get going. Let's go. We depart for Aqua Falls!"

Heading out of the assembly hall at last, Leo kept his spirits high. Susanshi and Tokot, not so much.

"Oh dear, I hope they'll be all right," said a concern Lisa.

"Why don't you go with them? Just to make sure they stay safe?" suggested Alex.

"No... I can't risk getting into trouble myself," said Lisa. "Don't see me as selfish, but I do have a reputation to keep here. You'd better go to your spot now. Try not to let them worry you."

"...OK, Lisa," said Alex.

The Team Revolution members were now outside the EA building, on the way back to town.

"OK, there's likely to be guards near the site so we'll need to find a way to get past them without being seen," explained Leo.

"This better be worth it, Leo! I refuse to get the scolding of a lifetime from Master Eag!" stated Tokot.

"We'll just have to hope we find something there," reminded Leo. "If we do find something, we'll report it to Master Eag."

"Oh great, now I'm kinda hoping we don't find anything," said Tokot.

"Nonsense! Vascious just had to have gone to Aqua Falls for a reason. Whatever he went there for, it'll probably be a good idea to try to find out whatever his reason was, then we can counter it!" said Leo, looking to the side. "My guess is Vascious wanted something, but he wasn't able to get i-"

He was interrupted after bumping into something in his path. Looking back forward, he could see the back of someone he didn't really want to see: Jon, the Wartortle, once again wearing his ominous coat. He turned around slowly and unsettlingly.

"You again..." he muttered.

"Ah! J-Jon! P-p-please excuse me!" Leo stuttered in fear.

"Now you forgot to keep your eyes in front, did you?" asked Jon.

"Y-yes, I did, uh, hehe," replied Leo.

"Hm. Looks like you've just come from the assembly hall. I was there too," said Jon. "Quite the situation we have, don't you think?"

"Y-yeah, murder, scary stuff, hehehe," remarked Leo.

"You kids better take care from now on. There's no telling what Vascious is up to, but I bet it's reeeeally sinister. Now, get going. Shoo."

"Th-thank you, Jon. W-we'll be on our way now," said Leo, before running away in panic.

"Yo, don't leave me with him!" shouted Tokot, giving chase.

Susanshi did not follow straight away. Instead, she exchanged looks with Jon for a few moments. It was almost as if she was looking deep into his mind, searching for something. Finally, she broke her eye contact and gave chase to Leo and Tokot.

"...And what's her problem?" asked Jon to himself. "...No, it's not my problem."

The Team Revolution members were now exiting town through the main entrance, heading through Jade Meadow. Even with the knowledge of the murder incident still fresh in their memories, the tranquillity of the meadow shined through strongly.

"So, tell me, have you two ever been to Aqua Falls before?" asked Susanshi, stirring up conversation.

"Not really," replied Leo. "I haven't been anywhere far away from town before. I've been as far as this meadow and a short distance into Sacreca Field."

"You didn't get out much, did you," said Susanshi.

"Nope, I was restricted quite a bit during my time growing up," said Leo. "Good time to be an Explorer, eh? Well, partially. I'm following the example my father set, before he...disappeared. He was the bravest Pokémon I ever knew. He always put me and Mom before anything. If we were ever in danger, it would always be him who would save us."

"I've heard about what happened...years ago," commented Susanshi. "Sorry if this seems a little insensitive here, but...what happened...to your mother?"

"...She fell really ill. Nobody knew what was wrong with her. It was some serious, unknown illness. My dad never left her bedside when it started. After just a few days...she was...gone. After that, Dad just vanished. He's still on the missing Pokémon list at the SPF. That was eight years ago, and still... nothing. Even back then I was weak. I was hopeless. I lost a lot of faith in life that day. I'm just...glad someone still looks after me, like a parent. Th-that's why I joined the EA. I want to get stronger! Like my dad! It's what he would want! I...I won't give up! Sure, I may be a little silly, and a little careless... And a little cowardly... But... I'm in this for him! And my mom!"

He clenched his fist and put on a face of determination once his speech ended.

"Wow, that's really...ambitious of you," said Susanshi.

"Yes, but in the way he's been going, he's having a rather slow start," commented Tokot.

"I-I'll get there eventually! Really, I will!" claimed Leo.

"Huh, I'm gonna bet on that," said Tokot.

"Really now? How much?" wondered Susanshi.

"I'm dirt poor and live in a shed for a house, yet I'm making a bet..." realized Tokot. "...It's on, anyway!"

"Really? How much?" asked Leo.

"Ten thousand," said Tokot.

"Thirty," said Leo.

"Twenty-five?" suggested Tokot.

"Deal!" declared Leo. "So, let's see me get better now!"

"Sheesh... Boys will be boys, even in this world," mumbled Susanshi in disdain.


	10. To the Scene of the Crime

Chapter 10 - To the Scene of the Crime

"Ahh, this breeze feels refreshing," Susanshi said, commenting about the light wind that was blowing across the meadow.

"That's the spring breeze of Sacreca, Susanshi," said Leo. "It always feels this good."

"Say, Leo... I need to ask something," said Susanshi. "The three of us are all part of the same team, but...who would be considered the leader?"

"Oh, you know what? I never actually stopped to think about that," replied Leo. "Well, since it was me who named our team, I guess, technically, that I'm the leader."

"Oh, that's right, Leo. You can be leader," said Tokot. "Leader of the Loser Squad."

"That doesn't sound like a team I'd want to be a part of..." stated Leo.

"Well, I think it's prefect for you."

"Nope, not listening."

A short time passed, and now Susanshi, Tokot and Leo had reached the southern edge of Jade Meadow. Up ahead, the landscape appeared to abruptly cut off at a certain point.

"Oh? Is the path going downhill over there?" wondered Susanshi.

"Hmm, it seems like it," replied Leo.

Upon reaching the point, the terrain started to slope downwards at an angle of about forty degrees. What laid below came into clear view; a beach, reaching out to the ocean.

"Hey, that must be Seashell Shore!" announced Susanshi.

"Probably," said Leo.

"Oh no... We have a problem," said Susanshi as she, Leo and Tokot started traveling down the slope.

"Huh? What's that?" wondered Leo.

"I hate going downhill!" Susanshi replied, panicking slightly as the physics were causing her to gradually gain speed as she walked down the mountain.

Soon, she was way ahead, trying to stop but not being successful in doing so.

"Hey, hey, hey! Wait up, Susanshi!" Leo called out as he too started to gain speed and forward momentum.

"Dammit, you two! This isn't a game!" exclaimed Tokot. "Don't go leaving me behi-!"

He was cut off by himself also speeding up.

The trio, running uncontrollably down the slope, grew closer to the eventual beach which awaited them at the bottom. Soon after, Susanshi fell forwards, landing on the ground, but still moving, only now rolling down the hill. Leo also lost his footing soon after, continuing his own descent by rolling. Soon after, Susanshi was approaching a raised section in a hill, creating a sort of ramp close to where the grass of the hill and the sand of the beach connected. She went flying off this "ramp", landing headfirst into the cushioning sand below. She felt dizzy as she sat up. As she held her head, she had sand thrown up into her left side. Leo had landed, also face-down, right next to her.

"Wow, that was actually fun!" said Leo, his voice massively muffled by the sand.

"W-what? Can't hear you, Leo," said Susanshi, the dizziness gone.

Leo lifted his head up and began to splutter, as sand had gotten into his mouth.

"Pfft! I said that was fun," he repeated.

Standing back up, Susanshi began to inspect the new surroundings. From where she was standing, there was the ocean in front of her, the waves of its edge gently caressing the silky sand. To the left was a towering cliff with nothing visible at the top from below. To the right, the beach extended further towards a path lined with tress.

"So, Aqua Falls should be right over in that direction," said Susanshi.

"Yes, it should be" said Leo, standing back up.

Just then, Tokot appeared.

"Done with having fun?" he asked.

"Uh, I think so," replied Leo with uncertainty. "Susanhi, we going now, right?"

Susanshi, at that time, was busy staring out over the seemingly endless water.

"Yo, Susanshi! This is no time to see the sights!" said Tokot.

Susanshi chose to simply ignore him.

"...I haven't seen the ocean in such a long time," she commented. "I don't live anywhere near the sea, so I've almost forgotten what it even looks like."

"Hmm, same thing, actually," said Leo. "This is the closest I've ever been to the sea. The only other way I've at least seen the sea is from the top of the cliff on the left outskirts of town. The view from there... I should really take you there one day..."

He then appeared to be in a trance, likely drawn in by the beauty of the sight.

"...OK, that's enough, let's go," said Susanshi, before moving away from her spot.

She turned back around to see that Leo was still firmly rooted to his spot.

"Leo? Are you coming?"

Leo, without giving a verbal reply, turned his head towards Susanshi. He featured this hypnotized smile.

"Leo!" called out Susanshi.

Leo, in response, quickly snapped out of it.

"Oh, sorry about that. I was just...thinking to myself," he said.

"Later, Leo," said Tokot. "We're heading out! Come on!"

"Yes, of course," said Leo.

And so he, Tokot and Susanshi all began to traverse across the sands, heading in the direction of the trees.

After a short while, the group that reached the starting point of the path leading to Aqua Falls. A small section of grass growing away from the sand was connecting to a path of soft brown dirt. The beach area itself was thinning away as it crossed with this new path. Trees, mainly palms trees, were lining the left and right sides of the path, the left more-so, as the right featured a steep cliff.

After a far amount of time, they were nowhere even close to reaching the sight of the falls.

"Hmm, this path sure goes on for a while..." commented Leo. "We'll just keep following this path and

we'll be there eventually."

"Get outta here, Sir Obvious," muttered Tokot.

"I was only saying!" exclaimed Leo.

"Wait a second, guys. Don't you even notice anything...strange?" asked Susanshi.

"Oh yeah! There's nobody here!" realized Leo. "Huh... Maybe the investigation team hasn't arrived yet. Well, that'll make things even easier for us! Let's not miss this opportunity!"

He began to move at running speed down the path, only to be halted just seconds after.

"...I think I jinxed it."

Further down the path, he spotted a pair of Watchog in yellow caps. They were facing one another and were talking, the directions they were facing meant they weren't looking at the path and therefore did not notice Leo. They were also standing in front of a thin strip of yellow-and-black tape tied around two adjacent trees and blocked off the path forward.

"What do you think that Weavile guy's up to anyway, Nigel?" asked the left Watchog.

"Beats me, Scooter," replied the right Watchog. "But the sooner the investigation team gets here, the sooner we can leave this post."

"I get you, Nigel. This is borrrring."

"Oh no, now what do we do?" questioned Leo, who, along with Susanshi and Tokot, stood about twenty feet away from the Watchog duo.

"Well, I guess we have no choice... We have to sneak past them," said Susanshi.

"Yeah, stealth. The only option, really," said Leo. "But...how will we do it? Should we try digging a tunnel below them?"

"Maybe, but that probably won't be a good idea. We can't risk leaving traces behind," objected Susanshi.

"There's got to be some way of doing this..." said Leo.

He then proceeded to investigate his entire surroundings to look for a solution. Checking out a single bush at the side, he then said:

"I think I have an idea! Guys, help me out with this!"

"And now the worrying begins..." muttered Tokot.

The Watchog pair, still gossiping, were soon alerted to a nearby squeaking sound. Turning their attention, they saw a bush in front of them, seemingly moving by itself towards the tape.

"Hey Nigel! That bush is moving by itself!" stated one of the Watchog. "Do bushes have legs now?"

"Don't you realize what that means, Scooter?" asked the second Watchog. "There's someone inside, trying to sneak past us!"

The pair then walked up to the bush, which had just slowed to a stop.

"OK, Scooter! On the count of three, we'll reach our hands into the bush and pull out whoever's in there!"

"Oh, OK, Nigel."

"One... Two... THREE!"

The two Watchog jerked their arms into the bush. They felt around its insides, feeling through the leaves and sticks, but no sign of life was detected within.

"So... Nigel... Is there really meant to be someone inside?" asked Scooter.

"Wait a second... Something's not right," said Nigel.

He proceeded to violently grab the bush and yank at it. He was left holding the bush over his own head, with only an old-looking skateboard with a lightning pattern on it and a missing wheel where it once was. The bush was literally an empty shell, uprooted, roots and all.

"What? But that doesn't make any sense!" exclaimed Nigel in shock.

"Maybe the wind was blowing it," suggested Scooter.

"But there's no wind!" remarked Nigel.

With the Watchog distracted, Leo, Susanshi and Tokot cautiously appeared from behind one tree on the left side of the path and tiptoed past the backs of the Watchog. They slipped underneath the tape. Once they were on the other side, they began to pick us the pace, from walking, jogging, and finally running once they were far away enough.

"...Then how did it even move by itself?" asked Scooter.

"The skateboard, you fool!" snapped Nigel.

"But why is a bush on a skateboard?"

"Does this look like the face of someone who knows the answer to that?!"

"No... It doesn't."

"Well, there you go!"

Nigel then tossed the bush away.

"Hey... Can I keep the skateboard?" asked Scooter.

"With a wheel missing?"

"I'm sure it's fixable."

"Fine, do whatever you want with it."

Meanwhile, further down the path:

"Hopefully, they won't notice us now," said Leo as he and the others ran.

"You're just lucky there was an abandoned skateboard nearby," said Tokot.

"If it weren't for that, we'd be in trouble," said Susanshi. "OK, I think we're far away enough now. Let's stop running."

With these words, the trio ceased the running and began to walk at a casual pace. A short distance ahead, they had caught eye of something standing out from the dirt on the ground.

"Hey, that on the ground over there," noted Leo. "Could that be...?"

He walked up to what caught his attention, which was a patch of discolored dirt, dark red.

"This is blood, right?"

"Yeah, seems like it," confirmed Susanshi. "So, the murder happened in this very spot."

"Right, so Vascious was standing here..." said Leo, standing just in front of the bloodstain. "And that Breloom guy was in front of him. Vascious slashed his neck... And the blood dripped down here," he continued, performing a horizontal swiping motion with his arm.

"Yeah, not like the death details themselves weren't already graphic," commented Susanshi.

"Just observing," said Leo. "OK, let's carry on."

The trio then carried on with their travel.

After around ten more minutes, the group had reached what looked like the end of the pathway. The lines of trees stopped and the dirt path extended to a more open piece of land. Before the group's very eyes was the sight of a towering, wide waterfall. The waters came crashing down the side of a tall mountain, creating an impressive show. The water that flowed down created much foam as it entered a separate body of water at the base of the mountain. The water was also connected to a small river, which stretched across in the waterfall's left direction, then finally leaving via way of the ocean.

"It's...beautiful," said Leo, totally mesmerized by what laid before his eyes.

"I agree, but we have to try to find out what Vascious was doing here last night," said Susanshi. "This...could be tricky. I mean, there doesn't seem to be much here, only this great view."

"Then we'll just have to search for any clues," said Leo.

The group began to head closer to the cascading waters. The path towards it reached a wooden bridge-like structure with guardrails built over the pool at the bottom of the falls. Standing at this spot, the soothing and wondering droplets roaming near the sight of the foam could be lightly felt on the surface of the trio's skin. Leo and Susanshi stood facing the falls, appearing to feel relaxed, while Tokot stood further back to avoid the droplets.

"It...feels so good," commented Susanshi, eyes closed.

"Mhm..." muttered Leo in his relaxed state.

"What about me? I can't go near water!" exclaimed Tokot.

"Sucks to be you," said Leo, appearing to have a sightly smug look on his face.

"I feel...like all my worries are being washed away..." said Susanshi. "Coming here really was a good idea..."

"Hey, we're not here to let my biggest weakness soak us!" snapped Tokot.

"Don't you ever stop whining?" questioned Susanshi, reopening her eyes.

"This is not whining; it's being dissatisfied," replied Tokot.

"...Riiiight," muttered Susanshi.

"It's so like Tokot to ruin the peace," said Leo. "We'd better go."

To the left of the wood platform was a piece of raised grassy land around the waterfall. The river itself ran through an archway within the land. Leo began to make his way over to this land, with Susanshi and Tokot tagging along. The land extended towards the back of the waterfall.

"Hey, maybe there's something in the back of the waterfall," said Susanshi.

"Well, have a look around you," said Tokot. "There really is nowhere else to go, so where else would we look?"

"Now who's stating the obvious?" quizzed Leo.

"Just shut up, Leo," replied Tokot.

Heading in the direction of the falls, the trio soon reached the backside of the falls. The path got thinner as it stretched behind the roaring waters and beside the mountain. There, within a small alcove in the mountainside, was an entrance inside.

"There! We can go inside the mountain through there!" stated Leo.

Walking up to the opening, he peered inside.

"Hmm... Yes, there's a cave inside. We should look around inside."

He then entered the hole, with Susanshi and Tokot following behind him.

What awaited inside the mountain of the falls left the trio in fascination; the sight of an expansive cave with the sound of water droplets falling down from a stalactite-heavy ceiling, making contact with an interior lake down below. The space within the cave appeared bigger than the actual size of the mountain from outside. The areas reachable on foot extended in many directions. Left, right, up and down. A smaller waterfall could also be spotted on the left of the cave, gushing water out and into the lake from a hole high up.

"Amazing! A whole cave inside the waterfall mountain!" said Leo in much awe.

"So that means the lake is right above our heads, right?" asked Susanshi.

"Yep," replied Leo. "Although I don't think the ceiling is the very bottom of the lake. There must be more to this cave than what we're seeing right now."

"So, we explore this cave, yes?" asked Susanshi.

"Nothing else to do, so yes," said Leo.

"Ugh, more water... I gotta be careful," groaned Tokot.

"I'm sure you'll be fine, Tokot. I know it!" remarked Leo, seemingly giving confidence.

"Pfft, please. I don't need that," said Tokot ungratefully.

So now, the trio began their exploration of this new area by heading forwards. A short distance away, the hard rock ground grew skinnier as it started to incline upwards. Traveling across this path, the group saw that it was stretching out over the lake. The path itself also had no guarding on the side, and was no more than a foot wide. Tokot was appearing out-of-character; he was looking nervous and refusing to look down, instead focusing his gaze directly in front of him. Eventually, the path widened as it connected to a higher level of ground. With more safe ground around him, Tokot gave off a sigh of relief, but was heard by Leo and Susanshi. The two turned around to face him. He was taking small breaths with his eyes closed. Upon finishing and opening his eyes, he saw them staring at him.

"Scared?" asked Leo.

"No, don't be silly!" replied Tokot, trying desperately not to harm his pride.

"Whatever you say!" said Leo with a shrug.

Up ahead, the ground split into two individual paths, forming a Y shape.

"Hmm... Left or right?" wondered Leo.

"Left," said Susanshi.

"Right, said Tokot at the exact same time.

"Well, that's not good," said Leo. "...Fine, we'll split up and go down different paths. Susanshi, you go left. Tokot, go right."

"What about you?" asked Susanshi.

"Um... I don't even know!" replied Leo. "How will I decide...?"

He took some time to think to himself, and after a few quiet seconds he said:

"Rock-Paper-Scissors! Tokot, play with me! I win, I go left. I lose, I go right."

"Well, that's a creative way of choosing," complimented Tokot.

He walked up to Leo and stood in front of him. The two clenched their right fists together, shook them up and down twice and formed signs on the third and final shake. Leo had two fingers out, while Tokot had none, choosing to stick with the clenched fist.

"I guess I'm going left," confirmed Leo.

"Rock-Paper-Scissors will be the only thing a wimp like you can beat me at," remarked Tokot.

"Uh, for now," said Leo.

He and Susanshi started to head across the left path, while Tokot went solo down the right path.

"Hehe..." giggled Leo. "ECHO-o!"

His voiced bellowed all around.

"Don't you go doing that again!" shouted Tokot from the other side.

"Sorry, temptation's a powerful thing at times," said Leo in defense.

"This place is so big... There's no telling how long we'll be in here for," said Susanshi.

"Until we find something interesting," said Leo.

"That could take ages..." muttered Susanshi.

"That sounds like something Tokot would complain about," commented Leo.

"I heard that!" snapped Tokot.

Eventually, the two paths began to separate further away from one another. The left path was now starting to angle upwards slightly. The right path was also beginning to slant up. After a few more minutes, the paths began to close in on each other again, soon connecting together at the edge of a high platform stood in the water down below.

"Oh, so they just lead to the same place. How anticlimactic," said Tokot, now reunited with Leo and Susanshi at the top of the platform.

"Well, at least we didn't get separated," said Leo.

He then walked over to the edge of the platform and peered down. Below, he saw the large body of water that took up much of the cave bottom. Now, the water was slowly flowing into a low-roofed, semicircular tunnel in the side of a tall wall up ahead.

Leo then soon backed away, slightly nervous.

"W-we're so high up now," he said.

He then took his eyes straight ahead. He spotted another opening appearing to lead upwards in the wall at their current level. The platform had a very thin path extending out towards this opening.

"Hey, over there! It might be the way further up the caves!" Leo said, pointing at the opening.

"Well, in a situation like this, what's the most logical thing to do?" quizzed Tokot.

"Um... Jump into the water below us?" replied Leo with a big smile upon his face.

Tokot slapped his face with his palm in response.

"No, you moron. We go through that gap over there!" he snapped.

"Hey, I was joking!" exclaimed Leo.

"Leo, you brought this on yourself by making that silly joke!" argued Tokot.

"Nope! Don't argue now!" insisted Susanshi. "Let's just go already!"

"Good idea. I don't fancy taking the risk of hurting my throat again from yelling at Leo," said Tokot.

The gang made their way over to the perilous path that stood between them and the continuation of their journey. They lined up in a single file with Leo, Tokot and Susanshi in that order and began to slowly inch their way across the path.

"Please don't fall, please don't fall, please don't fall," Leo uttered quickly and fearfully, his arms stuck out by his sides to maintain balance.

"Don't go panicking now! Just keep calm and don't look down! Got it?!" said Tokot.

"Th-this is like walking across a tightrope!" stated Susanshi.

Leo was now starting to tremble as he wobbled about.

"No no no no no no! Not good, not good!" he panicked.

He had almost reached the opposite side of the path when, out of dangerous instinct, he leaped towards the edge of the ground that laid before the opening at the end of the path.

"Oh look, Leo's trying to get himself killed again," said Tokot calmly.

Then, Leo just barely gripped the edge of the ground and was now hanging from one arm.

"Help meeeeee!" he begged, flailing his legs about.

"Help yourself, you fool!" replied Tokot. "Just pull yourself up!"

"O-OK!" said Leo.

He reached his free arm up and grabbed hold of the edge, before pulling himself up with what little strength he actually possessed. Soon, he successfully climbed up onto solid ground. He was now left lying on his belly, breathing heavily in relief.

"I... I made it..." he gasped.

Shortly after, Tokot safely reached the other side.

"That wasn't so bad," he commented. "But you just HAD to make it harder for yourself."

"I-I'm sorry, Tokot. It's just that...I hate heights," said Leo.

"Your acrophobia ain't welcome in Explorer Land," said Tokot.

"Cut him some slack, Tokot! A lot of people have a phobia!" said Susanshi, still making her way across the narrow path.

"Hey, I'm just saying it doesn't help much here," said Tokot.

He then whispered to himself:

"I myself have a fear of water..."

Then, Leo stood back up, appearing to be calm once more. Looking back at the path, he saw Susanshi only about halfway across.

"Come on, Susanshi!" he called out.

"I'm...coming..." she muttered.

She appeared to be disoriented: her eyes were closed and she was beginning to lose her crucial balance.

"Susanshi, what's happening?!" asked Leo in concern.

"Ugh... Why did my human instincts have to take over now?" she questioned to herself.

She soon lost her footing completely, and went falling down.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Susanshi!" called out Leo, running up to the edge and peering down.

Susanshi landed with a splash into the water down below. She surfaced up and stayed floating.

"I'm OK!" she shouted up to Leo.

She could then feel herself moving. She had been caught in the current of the water rushing into the tunnel at the bottom of the wall. She attempted to swim in the opposite direction to fight the current, but to no avail.

"Oh no! What do we do?!" questioned Leo.

"Wanna go jump after her and save her?" asked Tokot.

"Uhhhhh... No..." replied Leo with hopelessness and guilt. "Aww man, I should've packed a life vest!"

Soon, Susanshi was forced into the mouth of the tunnel. She was swept away into the tunnel and vanished from all sight.

"No! She's gone!" exclaimed Leo. "Susanshi... No..."

"No need to mourn, Leo!" said Tokot. "She'll be fine, I'm sure of it. Now, let's just stay calm and look for her."

"...OK, let's try to find her," said Leo. "But, it looks to me like she's heading further down..."

"Then she's gone, I'm afraid. Oh well, time to continue our own investigation without her."

"But, Leo... We can't just leave her!"

"You can't seem to swim, and I am certainly NOT going in the water. So, frankly, it's no use. If we run into her again, then that's just lucky. Now, come on!"

Leo, with a feeling of sadness, followed Tokot as they proceeded through the path that led ahead.


	11. The Depths of the Falls

Chapter 11 - The Depths of the Falls

Susanshi was being taken away by fast flowing water through a tunnel. The experience was like that of a water slide at an amusement park. The slide itself was also not strictly in a linear setup; it was twisting and turning about in many directions. At first Susanshi was fearing for her life as she got carried away on her back, but soon a realization came to her: there was no real danger. Instead, she was taking notice of the fun and gripping side to the situation. She stuck her arms into the air and started screaming in excitement with this look of absolute thrill. Soon after, the ride started to get a little more bumpy; the water was flowing less smoothly across the base of the tunnel, making things a little more rough for Susanshi. Eventually, the momentum gained by the water flow was getting faster as the tunnel grew narrower and appeared to start sloping down. The tunnel had now become a tube shape about twice the size of Susanshi. Then, she saw what appeared to be the tunnel vanishing up ahead. Expecting the worse, she shut her eyes tightly and braced herself. At the very end of the ride, she went falling down along with the exiting water.

"Whoooooooa!" she yelled as she fell.

After a fall of moderate length, she felt herself falling into a body of water down below. She went sinking down into the liquid with her eyes still shut. She was holding her breath, but appeared to lack the decent lung capacity to hold it for very long. And then, just has she appeared to give up, she opened her eyes to realize a special ability she possesses; she's a Water-type and can stay underwater.

"Oh, what am I thinking? I'm a Water-type! I can breath underwater!" she taught herself, releasing her breath in the process.

Then, she proceeded to slowly swim her way up to the water's surface. The lighting in the water was very dim with practically no light, meaning Susanshi couldn't see anything around her. Once she arrived at the surface, she took a long, concentrated look around her.

"Huh, where am I?" she wondered.

The illumination within the area was no better than in the water. Everything was close to pitch-black and the atmosphere was still and silent.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" called out Susanshi, hoping to receive a response, but no luck. "Helloooo? Can anyone help me?" she continued.

Still nothing. All she was getting in return was the echoing from herself.

"Damn! What am I going to do?" she pondered in frustration.

She started to propel herself slowly by dragging her arm forwards to pull herself forward, keeping her eyes peeled for everything of interest. She traveled a few feet ahead before stopping and taking another look around, but the sense of emptiness and loneliness remained intact.

Meanwhile, under the surface of the water, something was looming. Whatever it was, it was lurking close to the bottom, swimming about at its own leisure. It didn't take very long for it to notice Susanshi up above, kicking her legs lightly to stay afloat. It sneakily swam on over beneath, then stopping at her feet. At that moment, Susanshi felt something tugging at her from below.

"Huh? Who's that?" she questioned.

She pointed her head down, only to find nothing visible. Then, the exact same feeling could be felt again, this time from behind. She hastily turned around to attempt to see whatever it was, and, with success, she did. There, floating on the water directly in front of her, was a Pokémon of a blue hue, with two dimly lit orbs at each end of a Y-shaped antenna. The brightness was lighting up the area around Susanshi a small amount. The face of the Pokémon was baring a welcoming and friendly smile.

"Hi!" it greeted optimistically.

"Whoa! A Lanturn?!" said Susanshi in surprise.

"Yes! I'm a Lanturn!" confirmed the Pokémon. "Loomy the Lantern to be more precise! Welcome to my home!"

"Oh, well...hi, Loomy. I'm Susanshi. Do you know where this is?"

"It must be the deepest parts of the caves inside the mountain. I certainly don't know much else."

"Is there anyone else down here, by any chance?"

"Nope, just myself!"

"Wow... Aren't you ever lonely?"

"Yeah, it's lonely here. Not enough Pokémon drop by here. You're the first one since I ended up here."

"So you've ended up here somehow?"

"There I was, swimming about in the ocean near that giant waterfall, then I find this tunnel. My curiosity attacks me like some big army or something, so I go inside. I find myself inside this huge cave, then I fall at the end of this other tunnel and, well...here I am. I've been down here for a few years now..."

"So you're here by accident. Well, same here. But wait, what do you do for food?"

"The algae in this cave isn't really all that tasty, but hey, at least it's digestible. Well, I think it is... Plus, scraps sometimes wash down from above."

"Eww... Well, anyway, I got separated from my Explorer team. I need to get out of here and find them."

"A way out? I don't even know a way out..."

"You sure about that? Because I sure hope not..."

"I've checked every corner of the underwater sections of this cave. And nope, no way out."

"Wait... Underwater? You mean you've never looked on land?"

"Do you see any legs on me? I can't possibly go onto dry land! You're at least lucky!"

"So... There's a possible way out, but you never knew about it because you won't go on land. That's... kind of sad."

"Hey, there's nothing stopping you from doing so. Go ahead! I'll even help light the area for you!"

With this offering, Loomy then focused his energy into lighting up the orbs on his antenna. The light from the orbs intensified drastically, dispelling of the darkness instantly and blinding Susanshi, who was left to fall onto her back, covering her eyes.

"Gaaah! Too bright! I'm blind!" she rasped in discomfort.

Loomy simply stared at her with concern, not even phased by the light.

"Oops! Sorry! I turned it up too high," he said.

He proceeded to greatly dim the light he was emitting, making it more comfortable for Susanshi.

"There, that should do."

Susanshi then turned back upwards, removed her hands from her face and opened her eyes. Her pupils were still heavily shrunk for several seconds until they finally adjusted to the new and more safe lighting, widening back to near-normal size.

"Ahh, so much better," she said.

"Your eyes aren't damaged, right?" wondered Loomy.

"I...I think I'll be fine," replied Susanshi, not exactly sure of herself. "Well then, I should be able to see things more clearly now. Let me have a look around."

Turning around to face her back at Loomy, she started to investigate the cave. The layout was basically similar to that of the previous cave, with stalactites dangling down and various pieces of ground raised out of the water, though they all appeared to be too high up to reach.

"Hmm... I don't see a way out of the water from here. I should probably have a look around," decided Susanshi.

"I'll help you! I'll just stay close to you to ensure you can see everything," said Loomy.

"Thank you," said Susanshi.

"Just lead me anywhere, Susanshi!" said Loomy.

The plan was set and ready to be executed. Susanshi began to swim her way across the water, inspecting all pieces of raised ground to try to find a possible way out of the water. She started with a platform just ahead in front of her line of sight, standing at about five feet tall. Swimming close to it along with the guidance of Loomy's light, she checked the opposite side of the platform. The rocky surface was rugged, but lacked any sign of anything that could be grabbed onto to climb up.

"Nope, no good. Let's try somewhere else," said Susanshi.

Now, she was making her way over to the right side of the cave, where a high up ledge was positioned. She checked the wall for the same thing, but once again nothing was in sight that could be grabbed onto.

"This...isn't working," sighed Susanshi.

"Huh? Giving up already?" wondered Loomy.

"No, no. Let me think of something, OK?" said Susanshi, before entering a state of concentration.

Closing her eyes, she began to think deeply. Things stayed quiet during this.

"So... Anything yet?" asked Loomy.

"Hold on... Hmmmm..." uttered Susanshi.

Then, it came to her.

"Aha! Of course! Loomy! You could launch me up there!"

"Oh? I-I could?" quizzed the unsure Lanturn.

"Well, do you have any water-based attacks? More specifically a water-based attack that shoots like a jet?"

"Yes! I do! Hydro Pump!" realized Loomy.

"Great, that's perfect," said Susanshi. "OK, listen closely... I want you to point your whole body upwards, with your head out the water."

"Oh, OK," obliged Loomy. "Like this?"

He dived into the water, then resurfaced with his head pointing up out of the water.

"OK, that's good. Now stay like that," instructed Susanshi.

Immediately after, she made her way over to where Loomy was posing, much like how a Seel would pose while balancing a ball on its nose. She climbed up onto Loomy's head and stood up on his face, wobbling slightly to stay there. After a short amount of seconds, she settled down, standing directly over the mouth.

"OK, now fire your Hydro Pump from beneath me and launch me up onto the ledge."

"OK, Susanshi!" said Loomy.

With much optimism, the cheerful Lanturn ejected a powerful jet of water straight out of his mouth, launching Susanshi up into the air along with it. Upon reaching the very height of the jet, Susanshi then dived feet-first off of it, and landed onto the ledge successfully.

"Good job, Loomy. I made it up!" complimented Susanshi.

Loomy, with much satisfaction, ceased the Hydro Pump and cheered for himself.

"Woohoo! I did good, right?"

"Yep, you certainly did!" confirmed Susanshi.

Approaching the edge of the ledge, she stared down upon the still water-dwelling Loomy.

"OK, now for the hard part... I'm going to try to find a way to get you up here too."

"W-w-what?! Really? You're... You're trying to free me too?" he pondered.

"Of course! You help me, I help you. I'm an Explorer, after all!" said Susanshi.

"Awesome!" applauded Loomy. "But... How can I get up there? I'll have to go on land!"

"I believe I can at least get you up here," said Susanshi.

Then, she mumbled to herself:

"Sure hope this'll be OK to do...".

Then, instructing Loomy, she said:

"Uh, try launching yourself out next. Just point yourself downward and fire a Hydro Pump. The force

should lift you out of the water."

"OK, Susanshi, I'll try!" said Loomy.

Doing exactly what he was told, Loomy pointed his head down into the water, before firing a Hydro Pump straight down, launching himself into the air. Coming back down, he landed onto the ledge next to Susanshi. Although appearing unharmed, he began to flop around like a Magikarp while taking deep breaths.

"Loomy! Are you OK?!" asked Susanshi in concern.

Loomy then stopped flopping, staying put and breathing more calmly. He was left on his side.

"...I... I think so," he said. "Actually... This isn't so bad."

He upturned himself back up onto his belly.

"I feel fine, yeah. But... How will I be able to move?"

"I don't know. Try something," said Susanshi.

"Oh, uh... OK. Let me try," said Loomy.

Pointing his eyes downward at his side fins, he stretched them out as far as their short size could reach, positioned them onto the ground and attempted to drag himself. He did so successfully, moving himself a small distance forward.

"Ah, well... It's still something," said Susanshi. "Just don't cut yourself while doing that or something."

"Ooh, I'll try," said Loomy.

Susanshi began to follow the ledge as it stretched across the wall and around the cave. Loomy dragged himself forward bit-by-bit as he followed. Towards the back of the cave, Susanshi discovered an entrance in the wall.

"Oh, I think I found something!" she called out as she stood in front of it.

Turning back around, she waited for Loomy to catch up.

"Uh... I'm starting to see how awkward this is."

"Don't worry! I'm doing fine! I'm coming!" Loomy replied.

Soon, he made it up to Susanshi.

"So, there WAS something here this whole time! Makes me wish I had gotten the idea to get myself up here like that."

"Well, if you did, you'd probably not be here, and I would be in even more trouble today," said Susanshi.

"Then it's a good thing I stayed here," said Loomy.

He then began to sniff at the air.

"Hey! Do you smell that?"

"Um, no?" replied Susanshi, after sniffing about herself.

"It's...the smell of FREEDOM! Let's not waste any more time!" exclaimed Loomy, before frantically making his way into the entrance.

"Wow, he's really certain about it," commented Susanshi to herself before following.

Within the entrance was a small tunnel sloping downwards.

"Yes! At the other end of this tunnel! That's where freedom is!" said Loomy.

Susanshi, outrunning Loomy simply by walking, made her way to the end of tunnel. There, the ground appeared to turn pitch black. Susanshi, with much bad timing, turned her head around to look at Loomy, totally missing what laid ahead.

"You're so desperate to get to the end, yet you're going really slowly," she commented.

"No matter! I'm still getting there!" replied Loomy.

Suddenly, as Susanshi turned back around, she fell into the darkness in the tunnel: it was a hole. Emitting a scream, she seemingly disappeared into the floor from Loomy's point of view.

"Whoa! Susanshi, where are you going?!" he questioned.

Susanshi went plunging down into the darkness of a chute, soon to land into a pool of water at the bottom.

"I should pay more attention to the road," she grunted as she floated on the water.

She proceeded to check out what laid before her. However, everything was too dark to see anything.

"Oh, where am I now?"

"Look out below!" yelled Loomy, falling down the chute directly above Susanshi's head.

Susanshi, in quick response, dived underwater. Loomy landed above her with a big splash.

"Oof, that was rough," he said. "Hey Susanshi, are you OK?"

Susanshi resurfaced in front of him shortly after.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she assured him.

With Loomy's trusty light bulb-like appendages, the area was brightened up. They were both within a small room. Checking her surroundings, Susanshi was swift to discover another tunnel leading elsewhere at the bottom.

"There! Let's go through there!" she ordered.

"Right with you, Susanshi!" said Loomy.

The pair dived underwater and proceeded to swim over to the tunnel. Passing through it didn't take long, as the tunnel itself was only a few feet long. At the end, the tunnel began to angle up. Swimming up the remainder of the tunnel, the pair reached the surface to find themselves in yet another new area.

Susanshi and Loomy were now in a small square-shaped room, with a shallow supply of water around the outside of what appeared to be a podium, judging from the architecture. Narrow rock steps extended to the podium in front of them.

"Hey! More water! More swimming space!" cheered Loomy, wasting no time in initiating a circular swimming path all around the podium.

Susanshi just remained still at the top of the tunnel from where she appeared from. Instinctively, she inspected the podium in the middle of the room up ahead. There, she saw something unusual; a sort of jewel, blue and transparent, like glass. The shape was like that of a vertically-elongated diamond.

"Huh? What in the world is that thing?" wondered a much curious Susanshi.

With Loomy gleefully splashing around, she walked over to the jewel and stared into it. It was roughly one-and-a-half times her own body height and was resting upright in a hole in the center of the podium. Upon the surface of the jewel and with aid from Loomy's light, Susanshi could see a highly clear reflection of herself.

She stepped forward, extended her right arm towards the jewel and rested her hand on its surface. From within its mass, the jewel began to give off a very faint azure glow, almost as if reacting to something.

"Whoa... It's...beautiful..." she uttered, entranced.

Suddenly, the jewel's light spontaneously intensified, giving off a faint humming sound. The whole room was engulfed in a blue light that negated Loomy's own light, as well as forcing Susanshi to shield her eyes.

"Whoa! What's happening?!" questioned Loomy in surprise.

After a few more seconds, the brightness finally eased. Susanshi uncovered her eyes and looked back at the jewel, which was now no longer glowing.

"That was weird..." she said in her mind. "But this is a pretty interesting discovery. Maybe... Maybe I should take it with me."

After taking another fascinated gander, she placed both hands onto each side.

"OK, here we go..." she muttered.

She quickly lifted the jewel out of the hole. To her surprise, it was much lighter then she initially thought, being able to keep it off the ground using only her hands. Peering out past the newly acquired find, she then began to look for a way out, but to no success. Looking straight up, she saw what seemed to be a chute in the ceiling leading up.

"So, Susanshi, any luck finding a way forward?" wondered Loomy from below.

"Well, maybe," replied Susanshi.

Suddenly, both her and Loomy could hear something. It sounded much like water rushing somewhere, and only lasted for a few moments, seemingly with nothing occurring.

"Huh? What was that all about?" she wondered.

At that moment, the whole cave started to quake slightly. After a few seconds, the quaking stopped, but now the sound of running water could be heard once again, only this time louder and closer.

"S-Susanshi! What did you do? Did you make the cave angry by taking that thing?" asked Loomy, only now noticing the jewel.

"I...I don't know," said Susanshi, now feeling a little fearful.

Then, parts of the walls began to break inwards, releasing water into the cave.

"Not good! The place is flooding!" exclaimed Susanshi.

"Now what?!" questioned Loomy.

The water streams grew bigger and bigger, filling the cave faster and faster. Eventually, the water within the cave began to shoot Susanshi and Loomy, as well as the jewel, which was now free of Susanshi's grasp, up through the chute like a geyser at high speed.

"Ahhh! I think it's some kind of security system!" theorized Susanshi. "B-but this doesn't make any sense!"

"Maybe it's taking us outside!" said Loomy.

As the water traveled through the chute, the force was having quite the impact on Susansahi; she was lying on her back on the surface with her eyes shut tight and her cheeks flapping lightly. Opening up a single eye slowly, her vision was blurred at first, but soon returned to focus. To her shock, she saw what appeared to be the ceiling of the chute.

"N-no! We're heading for the roof!" she shouted Susanshi. "We might get crushed!"

"C-crushed?! T-that doesn't sound pretty!" said Loomy.

"Loomy...! B...brace yourself!" bellowed Susanshi.

Meanwhile, back outside, Leo and Tokot were situated before a dazzling lake of crystal-clear water, located at the top of the mountain and fueling Aqua Falls. A large array of Pokémon were swimming about in the lake water. The duo were sat at the edge of the lake, their backs towards the very top of the falls, where the lake water extended to a side of the mountain unguarded, falling down the side, creating the waterfall. Leo was dipping a stick into the water out of pure boredom, but also to try to prevent worry from taking over.

"Hmm... We've been out here for a while now," he sighed. "Don't you think it's time to look for Susanshi now?"

"Why? I've gotten too used to relaxing," said Tokot.

"Tokot, it was your idea to wait a while at the lakeside before going back inside the mountain to have a look for Susanshi in the hope she found her way back into that cave," stated Leo.

"Bah, fine, we'll go back inside," said Tokot. "This has been the longest I've ever been near water. I've almost gotten used to it. So you know what? I'll happily go inside again!"

He and Leo stood up onto their feet. Then, at that moment, they felt a very mild tremor lasting a split second beneath them.

"What's this now? An earthquake?!" quizzed Tokot.

"I-I don't know. M-maybe something's happening inside the mountain!" said Leo.

The duo then set their sights onto the lake waters. Soon, without warning, a large jet of water ejected itself out from the middle of the lake. In its wake were Susanshi, Loomy and the strange jewel. Reaching a height of about thirty feet, the jet subsided and fell back into the water, causing Susanshi and Loomy to fall and splash into the lake. They took to the surface immediately after.

"Yes! I made it back outside!" cheered Susanshi.

"Freedom! Sweet, satisfying freedom!" exclaimed Loomy as he shut off his light. "Oh, what a happy day! It's like my birthday's come early!"

"Heh, I can tell you're very happy," said Susanshi. "Oh wait, where's the jewel?"

Looking about, she spotted the jewel poking out of the water's surface close by. She then swam on over to it and held onto it.

"Good, it doesn't seem to be damaged," she said.

"Susanshi!" called a voice from the lakeside.

"Huh? Leo?" pondered Susanshi. "Leo, where are you?"

"Over here!" shouted Leo, waving his arm to her right with Tokot stood next to him, arms crossed.

"Oh, Leo! I'm coming!" said Susanshi as she began to make her way over to where Leo and Tokot were, taking the jewel with her.

Upon reaching dry land, she held the jewel horizontally, giving her enough room to see what was in front of her.

"Susanshi, I'm...so glad to see you're safe," said Leo in relief.

"Congratulations on not being dead," said Tokot.

"So Susanshi, what's this thing you've got?" asked Leo.

"This jewel? I don't really know what it is, but I found it in the depths of the cave," explained Susanshi. "I owe it all to Loomy. If it wasn't for him, I'd be stuck down there, maybe forever."

"Loomy? ...What the hell's a Loomy?" questioned Tokot.

"I'm a Loomy!" replied Loomy as he approached the trio. "Hi there!"

"Well, he's a rather friendly one," commented Leo.

"Susanshi helped me out of my prison!" said Loomy. "As well as her own!"

"Yes, this Lanturn is the one who helped me out," said Susanshi.

"I see. Well, nice to meet you," said Leo to Loomy.

"Hi!" greeted Loomy. "So, you're the ones Susanshi mentioned? Something about Explorers and stuff?"

"Team Revolution, at your service!" boasted Leo. "I'm Leo, this is Tokot."

"This Explorer business you do... It sounds fun, but I don't do so well on land, so I couldn't possibly do it myself. Woe is me!" lamented Loomy.

"Who said that matters? If you want to be an Explorer then it's all down to you!" assured Leo.

"Really? That's awesome!" said Loomy.

"Yes, but there are a few...rules," said Leo. "You have others to join with you, right?"

"Huh? Others? I don't know any others... I would say Susanshi, but she's taken already," said Loomy.

"Well, sucks for you, man," muttered Tokot.

"That's not very nice..." whimpered Loomy.

"Neither's your whining," replied Tokot.

"Ooooh! You're mean! I HATE mean people!" snapped Loomy, his usual cheerfulness gone, replaced with anger. "I should extinguish you!"

"Oh, you wouldn't dare..." uttered Tokot, showing slight signs of worry.

Loomy then inhaled and fired a Hydro Pump jet from his mouth and towards Tokot.

"NO!" shouted Tokot, running as fast as his adrenaline rush would take him.

Running across the lakeside, the Hydro Pump followed him.

"Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!" Tokot cried out, running past a random Magikarp that was close to the edge in the process.

"Oi! I'm a carp, not a crap, mate!" snapped the Magikarp in disgust.

Leo and Susanshi simply stood watching.

"Heh, about time he got scared senseless," Leo chuckled.

"I could get used to this," said Susanshi. "OK, Loomy, that's enough now. I'm sure he's learned his lesson."

With this command, Loomy ceased the attack. He was left with this look of satisfaction. Tokot soon returned, huffing and puffing.

"No... My pride... Damaged..." he gasped. "H-hey! Don't give me that smug look, Leo! I can't get wet!"

"Why? Because your tail's on fire? Why would that even matter?" asked Leo.

"You don't get it, do you? If my tail flame went out, I'm DEAD!" exclaimed Tokot.

"Well, you should watch who you insult!" said Loomy.

"Bah, I ain't saying anything to that," said Tokot. "Well, Susanshi's back with us, complete with giant diamond thing. Let's head back to the EA!"

"Oh? You're leaving now?" wondered Loomy.

"Yeah, we're heading back into town. Our business here is done," replied Susanshi.

"Aww, that's a shame. I was hoping we could hang out for longer," said Loomy in disappointment. "You're the first one I'd ever consider a friend. I was down there all alone for so long, and now I have a friend and freedom. This...really is the happiest day of my life. I owe...so much to you, Susanshi. Thank you. Thank you... Sniff."

He appeared to be crying at this point.

"Loomy... Take a look around you," said Susanshi. "This is Aqua Lake. It's filled with many other Water-type Pokémon such as yourself. You'll be most welcome here. This can be your home now. You can make even more friends here. And it's all down to you. Go for it, Loomy! Make up for all that lost time!"

"Susanshi!" exclaimed Loomy, appearing starry-eyed and very delighted.

Then, being so overfilled with joy, he leaped out of the water and landed on Susanshi, seemingly to hug her. Susanshi had dropped the jewel in the process and was left underneath Loomy's body weight.

"Whoa, take it easy, Loomy!" grunted Susanshi. "You're crushing my internal organs!"

"Oops!"

Loomy jumped off her and back into the water in response.

"Sorry, but the happiness I'm feeling right now is just too much to hold in," he then said.

"I understand perfectly," said Susanshi. "Now, get out there and have fun!"

"Oh, I will, Susanshi!" said Loomy. "I sure hope you'll come visit me again sometime soon!"

"Yeah, I...will come see you again," said Susanshi with slight doubt and guilt.

Then, she thought to herself:

"Uh oh, did I just make a promise I can't keep?"

"Thanks again for everything!" repeated Loomy. "And good luck with that Explorer stuff! Bye!"

"Bye, Loomy," said Susanshi. "Leo, Tokot, we're heading back now."

"OK, Susanshi," said Leo.

"Oh, Leo. Could you carry the jewel back for me?" requested Susanshi.

"No problem, Susanshi," obliged Leo.

Approaching the jewel, he gripped it and held onto it.

"Wow, it's lighter than it looks!" he commented.

And so, he, Susanshi and Tokot began to walk across the lakeside, to the north of the lake.

"OK, Jade Meadow connects to the lake, so we won't get too lost on the way back," said Leo.

"Oh, what's that? Trying to jinx yourself again?" questioned Tokot.

"No way, Tokot. I've memorized the map. Trust me," replied Leo.

"Nah," uttered Tokot.

As they continued to move away from the lake, Susanshi looked back over her shoulder. She was equipped with an expression of gratefulness, yet also regret for telling Loomy she would pay him a visit in the future, which, considering her intention, may not be possible. She could see Loomy cheerfully celebrating his freedom. It provided at least some happiness for her.

Some time later, the Team Revolution members had long left the lake behind and were traversing through the meadow south of town once again.

"I think we did well, don't you?" pondered Leo.

"Excuse me... 'We'? It was Susanshi who actually did anything," said Tokot. "By the way, what exactly do you even plan on doing what that thing?"

He was referring to the jewel Susanshi had acquired.

"I'm not sure, but I can't help but feel that it...was calling to me," said Susanshi.

"Calling to you? What do you mean?" asked Leo.

"I don't know exactly. But the first time I touched it, it glowed, then got me out of the cave," replied Susanshi.

"Really? But it probably just does that to anyone who touches it," said Leo.

"That can't be right, Leo. It would've done the same to you, but it didn't," said Susanshi. "Here, let me have it again."

"Oh, OK then."

Leo passed her the jewel.

"Oh great, stopping to play with it?" asked Tokot.

With it resting in Susanshi's arms once again, it let out another glow, much more intense than ever.

"Ack!" reacted Susanshi, blinded by the light.

She felt everything around her fading, almost as if she was being whisked away somewhere. All vision was gone, only white remained. Then, whatever Susanshi was seeing, a voice called to her from somewhere.

"The ruins... Go to...the ruins..."

After hearing the voice, the whiteness cleared away and Susanshi found herself back where she once stood.

"Wha..? What was that all about?" she questioned to herself.

"Susanshi! Are you OK?!" asked a concerned Leo.

"Huh...? Leo? Uh, yeah, I think so," replied Susanshi.

"You kind of conked out for a moment there," commented Leo.

"Really? Oh wait, did you guys hear anything during that time? Anything at all?" asked Susanshi.

"Nope, I heard nothing," said Leo.

"I'm not hearing things like you," said Tokot.

"It was someone's voice," said Susanshi. "It mentioned something about some ruins. But that was all."

"Hmm... The ruins... The ruins..." mumbled Leo as he thought to himself. "Maybe...the Ruins of Wyste?"

"The Ruins of Wyste, huh? I wonder why I'm being told to go there," pondered Susanshi.

"Don't trust the voices in your head, Susanshi. Could be bad news," said Tokot.

"Wait a second. You saw it too, Tokot. Susanshi was totally out of it when that thing went glowing. I don't think the voice was in her head," said Leo in Susanshi's defense.

"She's human. This is probably something normal for humans or something," said Tokot.

"Let's not talk about this now, guys," said Susanshi. "I suggest we return to town, then we can discuss this."

"The hallucinating human actually has a good idea. Let's just stop dawdling here and get going," said Tokot.

Without uttering a word in objection, Susanshi and Leo, along with Tokot, continued their travel through the meadow.

"Where shall we put the jewel?" asked Leo, seemingly randomly.

"Oh... I never actually thought about that," said Susanshi.

"Oh, I know. I think we should show it to Master Eag first," suggested Leo.

"Huh? Why?" asked Susanshi.

"I have a feeling that this thing could have something to do with why Vascious was at the Aqua Falls area," theorized Leo. "If it isn't, then it could be that this jewel is very valuable and could earn us an incredible reward!"

"I'm listening..." muttered Tokot.

"But regardless of anything, this jewel could be important. For the time being we should probably keep it safe somewhere," continued Leo.

"Huh? What's he looking at?" questioned Tokot suddenly.

"Huh? I'm not looking at you," said Leo.

"No, not you, fool. That guy over there!" replied Tokot.

He pointed over to the left. Leo and Susanshi turned their attentions in that direction. On a hill nearby, a mysterious figure was stood standing, watching the trio closely. The identity of the character was unclear, as it was garbed in a black coat with a hood hiding the head.

"Huh? Who is that?" wondered Susanshi.

The figure then ran away, disappearing from view.

"Was that creep watching us?" asked Tokot.

"If he was...that can't be good if he's after the jewel," said Leo. "We should be careful. It could be another bad guy."

"Maybe he is. Well, whatever he's up to, we should be on alert. It's bad enough with someone like Vascious being around," said Susanshi.

With the cautious feeling in the back of their minds, the trio resumed their travel back to town.


	12. Deepening Mysteries

Chapter 12 - Deepening Mysteries

It was sometime in the afternoon at this point as the members of Team Revolution drew highly close to Sacreca Town. Sounds of some kind could be heard from somewhere in the vicinity as the group all drew closer to the outskirts of Sacreca Town. They were rather upbeat notes traveling through the air.

"Huh, I wonder what that is?" quizzed Susanshi, listening in. "Whoever's playing that...it sounds really good."

"Wait, is that a musical instrument we're hearing?" wondered Leo.

"It would seem like it," replied Susanshi. "But where's it coming from?"

"It sounds like it's coming from...the...right!" announced Leo, listening carefully to pinpoint the source of the song.

Turning to the right, the trio spotted somebody sitting on a lone, isolated tree stump, where the song was originating. As they ran over to the spot, the figure's identity became clear: Alex. He was sat on the stump with a metallic object to his mouth. He was exhaling and inhaling at it to produce a joyous, catchy song. His eyes remained closed in focus, so he did not notice the company.

"Hey, that's a harmonica!" stated Susanshi.

"Oh, so that's what one looks like!" said Leo.

"Hmm... He's not bad, I'll give him that," uttered Tokot.

Soon, the tune was over, and Alex opened his eyes, holding the instrument down away from his face.

"...Oh, it's you three. You're back...and in one piece," he said.

"Alex... You're really good at that," complimented Susanshi.

"You really think so? ...Thanks," replied Alex, lacking enthusiasm as normal. "I come here from time to time to play. It's sort of my...private spot. Oh... I see you've brought something back with you."

"This thing? Oh yes, it was at Aqua Falls," said Susanshi. "Do you maybe happen to know what it is?"

"Nope, not familiar to me," replied Alex. "Well, I was about to head back to the EA... Come along...if you want."

He then took his harmonica, which was made from a stainless steel, bearing ten separate holes on the front to form notes, as well as a carved inscription on the top reading "Presto's", up to his bandana, and appeared to hide it inside it.

"Huh? Where'd you put it?" asked Susanshi curiously.

"In my bandana," replied Alex.

"I get that, but how?" questioned Susanshi.

"...There's a pocket built into it. I keep it in there all the time," explained Alex.

"Ah, makes sense," said Susanshi.

Alex then stepped down from the stump and headed at his own pace towards the site of the town. Susanshi, Tokot and Leo followed behind him. Alex soon looked over his shoulder at the trio, who were stood rather close to his back.

"Um... Not so close," he muttered.

"Oh, sorry," said Susanshi. "Back off a little, guys."

She and the other extended their distance away slightly.

"Yeah, that's better..." said Alex, before turning back around.

"And what's his problem?" whispered Tokot to Susanshi.

"I'm guessing he just doesn't feel comfortable enough with us yet," replied Susanshi.

"Sure is an odd one, isn't he?" commented Tokot.

"Uh, I think you should keep your voice down..." whispered back Susanshi.

Alex did not appear to react to the remark given by Tokot.

After a while, the foursome had finished making their way through the town and were back at the entrance grounds of the EA building. The scene was relatively quiet, as not many Pokémon were about, most likely due to many of them being away on Explorer duties.

"Ahhh... It's nice when it's quiet," commented Alex. "Oh, there's Lisa over there."

And indeed, there was Lisa, standing at the fountain, along with three other Pokémon.

"Who's she with?" asked Susanshi.

"Those are her friends," replied Leo. "That's Team FemDragon, Lisa's previous team. She was once their leader, before Alex appeared."

"Makes some sense, I mean, there wouldn't be enough room for him," said Susanshi.

The group all walked up to Lisa and her intimates.

"Lisa, I'm back," said Alex.

"Welcome back, Alex. Oh, and Team Revolution's back. Good to see you're safe and sound," said Lisa. "Oh? What's that you've got there?"

"No idea," said Leo. "But Susanshi found it in the caves at the falls."

"Hmm, it looks interesting," commented Lisa. "Can't really say it's familiar to me though. Oh, Susanshi, I have to introduce you to some more characters. These three fellow Dragon-types with me? They're some of my closest friends."

She proceeded to announce the other Pokémon within the area. One was a Deino, a Pokémon lacking visible eyes, wearing a pink bow in its black hair, as well as the exact same tattoo seen on Lisa and Alex on the base of its neck.

"This is Laura, a Deino."

"Oh, hello there. You seem like a nice girl," greeted the Deino.

"Um... How can you tell?" Susanshi asked, looking puzzled.

"I can smell you. You smell like a Piplup," said Laura. "Everyone has their own unique smell. That's how I get through life. Ah... Would be nice to see though, but I don't really fancy being an ugly Hydreigon. Seriously, you seen those things? Yuck!"

"Hehe, I think you're just fine the way you are," said Lisa with an uplifting tone. "Anyway, this is Melle."

She was now referring to a Gible, a Pokémon of rather pudgy stature, with stubby arms and legs, and a wide, gaping mouth of many teeth, followed by a thick yellow headband. The same tattoo could be seen on the left side of its singular fin, located on top of its head.

"Does anyone have something for me to chew on?" asked the Gible. "How about the diamond thing the Piplup's holding? It looks nice and tough."

"Um... I don't think it's on the menu," said Susanshi, looking slightly scared.

"Oh, don't worry about Melle. It's just a habit of hers," said Lisa. "Don't be afraid of her, she's nice, honestly. She's quite the artist, believe it or not. It was her who designed our tattoo."

"Interesting. Goes to show, you shouldn't judge using first impressions," said Susanshi.

"Exactly. That's how me and Alex got on so well, after all," said Lisa.

She finally turned attention to the third and final FemDragon member.

"And this is Sarah. She's basically the wild one."

"Huh? Wild? Like, no way!" denied the Pokémon, a Dratini.

This creature was all body, no arms and legs, with a purple bandana around the neck and the tattoo near the end of its tail.

"Yep, it's like her to deny it," said Lisa.

"Lisa, you ain't got the right to put me down like that," said Sarah.

"But I wasn't, I was... Never mind," Lisa hesitantly said. "But there you go, Susanshi. Team FemDragon. We've been together since we were all young. Heck, even then we were dreaming of the chance to be Explorers. That's why we're here today."

"Those are all good backstories, and I can't wait to hear more of them, but we have our finding to identify," Tokot rudely stated. "So, step aside, you're wasting time."

He then turned around to face Susanshi, pointing directly at her.

"Look at poor Susanshi! She can barely hold that thing any longer! We really should get going now! Bye!"

"But...This is no problem..." muttered Susanshi.

"Shh! Just get inside," whispered Tokot quickly, approaching Susanshi's back and pushing her forward.

"Oh? Going so soon?" asked Melle.

"Yeah, we, uh, we need to meet Master Eag. Where is he?" asked Tokot.

"Inside the EA, as usu-" replied Lisa, before being interrupted by Tokot:

"Alright! Thanks, now off we go!"

"Ah, he's at it again. So sorry, Lisa," sighed Leo, following Tokot as he guided Susanshi towards the EA building.

"Well, that was short," said Laura.

"Aww, I was only just planning on biting down on that diamond," said Melle, disappointed. "Now it's gone..."

"Relax, I'll find something else for you," claimed Lisa.

"Girls, that Charmander is, like, totally insolent," commented Sarah.

"I figured that out for myself a while back," said Lisa.

She then performed a shrugging motion.

"Ah well, it's boys. What do you expect?" said Laura.

"Hey, where's Master Eag?!" shouted Tokot; himself, Susanshi and Leo now within the entrance foyer of the EA building.

"Huh? He's upstairs," replied a random voice from nearby.

Without giving and sort of thanks, the trio made their way towards the stairs and up to the second floor. There, various Pokémon were gathered, chatting and such. At the back of the room, near Alenia's office, was Master Eag, stood with his back turned towards the trio. He was staring down at a clipboard, which he held in his wing.

"...Right, the wanted poster's ready. Time to post it downstairs," he uttered to himself.

"Master Eag! Master Eag!" called out Leo as he and the others walked up to him.

"Oh? Team Revolution, is that you?" wondered Master Eag, not turning back.

"Yes, it's us," replied Leo. "We're wondering if you could help us. Do you know what this thing is that Susanshi has?"

"Well then, allow me to see," said Master Eag, finally turning to face his guests.

It took just one quick glance at the jewel held by Susanshi, and his attitude changed instantaneously. Now he appeared startled and concerned.

"What?! Why do you have that?!"

"Um... Master Eag, is everything OK?" asked Leo.

"No, of course not! You've ignored my orders by going to Aqua Falls!" shouted Master Eag.

"W-what? But...how did you know?" asked Leo.

"Oh, nice going, Leo. You've busted all of us!" snapped Tokot.

"That thing you have with you... You shouldn't have that!" exclaimed Master Eag.

"Aha! So you DO know what it is!" stated Tokot.

"No! No more! Give it back!" barked Master Eag.

"Huh? I'm seriously confused right now," muttered Susanshi.

Master Eag, now showing some anxiety, spread his wings and proceeded to force the trio to move towards one of the doors in the area.

"M-Master Eag, what's going on?" asked Leo.

Rather than respond, Master Eag opened the door and led them all inside, before entering the room himself and shutting the door.

Inside was a desk at the back, much like Bevscot's and Alenia's own offices, along with many rows of filing cabinets lining the sides.

"Uh, Master Eag, why did you bring us into your office?" asked a confused Leo.

"I can't just let anyone hear me on this!" responded Master Eag. "What you have there was supposed to stay hidden! Especially with the current situation at hand!"

"Master Eag, why does it need to stay hidden? Vascious might be after this, so isn't it best to keep it safe?" suggested Leo.

"You don't get it, do you?! Sacreca will be doomed if it gets into the wrong hands!" yelled Master Eag.

"Master Eag... You should rest. You're not yourself," said Leo, trying to calm the agitated Braviary.

"I don't know how you figured out how to get it, but going to Aqua Falls when clearly informed not to? That's very serious!"

"But there was no one at the falls. No real danger at all," claimed Susanshi.

"Doesn't matter! Rules are rules! Now, hand it to me! I will return it to the Waterfall Caves myself!"

"N...no, Master Eag. I don't want to return it..." muttered Leo nervously. "It might be best to keep it here. That way, if Vascious were to return to Aqua Falls, he'll be stuck searching for something that isn't there."

Master Eag took a moment to think about the current situation.

"Wait, maybe I am just overreacting... They've found the Aqua Fragment by accident, yet they have no idea what to do with it. If it stays that way, then maybe it won't be so troublesome. It might even delay Vascious for a while... Very well, I know what to say."

"You... You have a decent point. I am sorry. I panicked," he then told the trio, finally calm. "OK then, I'll forgive you this once, but only under two conditions. You are to hide what you have. Just keep it safe and forget about it for now. Got it?"

"Oh, sure thing, Master Eag," said Leo.

Secondly, I need you to listen to me, because I'll only say this once: don't go wondering off. Perform only tasks from the job list. You're meddling in areas that you shouldn't be meddling in. If you favor your lives, just stick to the jobs. I'm doing this for your own good. Understand?"

"Y-yes, Master Eag. Sorry for any trouble," said Leo.

"Good, you're dismissed," said Master Eag, trusting in the words given to him.

"Thank you, Master Eag," said Leo as he bowed.

He and the other team members proceeded to walk out of the office, making their way back down into the entrance foyer.

Once there, they stood before a trio of corkboards hanging on the wall next to the assembly hall doors. Various pieces of paper were attached to the corkboards by tacks. These papers featured details of jobs and tasks.

"Humph! Surely you're not listening to Master Eag, are you?" questioned Tokot.

"As much as I'd hate to disobey Master Eag a second time, we don't really have a choice," replied Leo. "We should probably find a way to get to the Ruins of Wyste. Whatever that voice Susanshi heard is trying to lead us to, it could be important to the mission she has. Maybe a way to stop Vascious before he does...whatever he wants to do."

"Of course," agreed Susanshi. "I'm not really comfortable with the way Master Eag was reacting, but this is the only other clue we have. So, I guess it's already settled then. We go...to the Ruins of Wyste."

"But first, let's go put this jewel somewhere," said Leo. I think we should keep it in my house. Grenouille stays at home for much of the day, so she'll look after it for us."

"Good idea, Leo. Let's get it there quickly before it attracts too much unwanted attention," said Susanshi.

At that moment, Andose, the Raichu, turned up holding a piece of paper. It was the exact same piece of paper Master Eag previously had attached to his clipboard. Andose, without making any interaction with Team Revolution, attached the paper to the first corkboard, using two tacks to hold it up by the top corners.

"Well, that's done now," he said to himself. "I sure hope we catch him soon."

He then walked away.

The paper he had posted was a wanted poster, featuring a crude drawing of Vascious, along with the words "WANTED" on top, with "Dead or alive. 1,000,000P reward, courtesy of Master Eag, mayor Gordon and the SPF".

"A million PokéDollars... Man, that sure is a lot," said Leo, inspecting the poster.

"Well, whoever drew THAT ain't gonna get his art diploma any time soon," commented Tokot. "Wait... A million PokéDollars?! Ka-ching! Think of what all that would do for my family! Guys, consider me in, let's get going! The ruins aren't gonna explore themselves!"

He thrust his arm into the air in excitement.

"Heh, bring money into it and that's it, no stopping Tokot," said Susanshi.

"That's the spirit! Come on, let's go drop this thing off at my house, then we'll see about going to the ruins!" said Leo.

With spirits as high as ever, the trio marched their way out of the building. Soon after, they walked past Lisa, Sarah, Laura and Melle, who were still stood at the fountain. There was an unusual absence of Alex.

"Oh hey, where are you headed next?" asked Lisa.

"The ruins!" announced Leo, still walking.

"The ruins? Well...good luck there," said Lisa, appearing to pause for a brief second, as if she was having a quick though to herself.

A mild amount of time later, and Leo, Susanshi and Tokot stepped into the house where Grenouille was.

"Grenouille! I need a favor!" announced Leo as he walked in, along with Susanshi and Tokot.

"Oh, welcome back, Leo," greeted Grenouille. "What can I do for you?"

"We want you to look after something for us," said Leo.

"And what would that be?" asked Grenouille.

"This," replied Leo, pointing at Susanshi and the mystery jewel.

"What in the world is that thing?" quizzed Grenouille, completely baffled by what she was presented with.

"We're not exactly sure, but it could be important later," replied Leo. "Just let us keep it here and make sure no one tries to take it."

"OK, dear. Just pop it down somewhere," said Grenouille.

"If you will, Susanshi," said Leo.

"Oh, of course," obliged Susanshi.

She walked over to the side of one of the beds, the same one she had previously slept in, and laid the jewel down at the bottom of the left bed, and finally pushing it underneath.

"So that's done. Now we're going," said Tokot.

"Oh? But don't you kids want some lunch? I'm sure you're hungry," said a concerned Grenouille.

"Well, a snack would be nice, but... What we need to do next is of utmost importance," said Leo. "So, thanks but no thanks."

"Are you perfectly sure? I mean, I don't want you to go hungry far away from home," said Grenouille.

"I'll be fine," claimed Leo.

"...OK, you get going then," said Grenouille, still appearing worried.

"Time to go, guys," said Leo.

"Yes, but... How will we get to the ruins?" asked Susanshi.

"Hmmm... Let's see..." muttered Leo, reaching into his bag and pulling out the map.

He glanced down at it.

"The Ruins of Wyste are found on a lone island off the Southern Coast, which is southeast from here."

"Well, it's a start, but how will we reach the island? I'm sure not all three of us can swim all the way there," said Susanshi.

"I...have no idea," said Leo.

"How about we ask around town? Maybe somebody will offer to take us there," suggested Susanshi.

"Worth a shot. Let's do it," said Leo. "Bye, Grenouille."

"Take care, you three," said Grenouille.

With that, the trio headed back outside.

"Well then, shall we?" asked Leo.

"Where shall we start?" pondered Susanshi.

"How about at the EA?" suggested Leo.

"Not a bad idea. Let's go," said Susanshi.

They were quick to return to the site of the EA. They spotted Lisa, Melle, Sarah and Laura still stood together at the fountain.

"Hey, Lisa! We need some assistance!" called out Leo.

"Oh, I'm glad you guys are still around," said Lisa. "what do you need?"

"Lisa..." Leo began to say, now stood in front of her. "Do you know the Ruins of Wyste? We need to go there, and it's very important."

"The ruins? Actually, I wanted to ask YOU something as well," said Lisa. "Listen... I'm sorry if I'm going to be getting in the way, but... Well... ...Me and Alex may want to go to the ruins with you."

"Huh? Why?" questioned Leo.

"Well, for one thing, we've never actually been to the ruins before, and I've promised Alex that I'd take him there one day. All part of the geography thing, really. Not only that, but I'm really curious about what it may have to tell about the past. Plus, I feel kind of bad for letting newcomers such as yourselves put your own safety and enrollment on the line while I did nothing. You're about to do it again, so... I want to go with you, just to make sure you're OK," detailed Lisa.

"Lisa, we don't need your help. We can look after ourselves. No need showing this concern," said Tokot.

"I'm naturally worried for the welfare of others, so I can't help that," replied Lisa. "We're coming with you, no exceptions."

"Uh, thanks, Lisa. But what about yourself? I thought you didn't want to risk getting into trouble," recalled Leo.

"I had a thought about it, and I've decided: it's worth getting into trouble for the sake of all of Sacreca," said Lisa valiantly. "This Vascious character sounds like nothing but trouble. Whatever he plans to do with my, no, OUR home, I won't stand for it! I want to assist in bringing him to justice! I don't want to back away for the sake of my reputation with Master Eag and everyone else. In fact, this can further increase it. You three, despite being still relatively new to the Explorer scene, clearly have an ambition greater than I could ever comprehend. So, whatever it takes, me and Alex will help you!"

"Wow Lisa, that's so... Just wow," said Leo in surprise. "But you know what? We could use your help. You know how to look after yourself more than we could look after ourselves."

"Oh please, I can look after myself just fine," stated Tokot.

"Then it's decided," said Lisa. "Now, please wait here while I get Alex. He's in our dorm room right now. He said he needed some time to himself."

"Sure thing, Lisa," said Susanshi.

"I'll be right back," said Lisa.

She made her way into the EA building alone.

"The ruins, huh? I wonder if you'll find anything good there," commented Laura.

"I sure hope so too," replied Leo.

Meanwhile, Lisa was traveling up the stairs inside the EA building that led to the second floor. Next, she made her way up a second flights of stairs, located right in front of the first set. She was now on the third floor, the location of the dormitories. The room on this floor was thinner than the previous floor, lined with many doors on each side.

Lisa opened the third door on the left side and entered. Inside was a room stuffed with multiple bunk beds on the sides, and many more pairs of blankets and pillows of different colors in the back. There, in the back corner, on a blue blanket laid next to a red one, was Alex, his back turned.

"Alex?" Lisa called out to him.

In response, Alex, showing surprise, appeared to hide something underneath his pillow and turned back around.

"W-what is it, Lisa?"

"Remember when I said I'd take you to the ruins one day? Well, that time's now!"

"Oh, really? Thanks, Lisa..."

Alex made his way over to where Lisa stood. Before so, he grabbed hold of an Explorer bag that rested on the red blanket.

"Team Revolution will be coming with us," said Lisa.

"That's fine..." replied Alex.

"They're waiting for us outside. Let's go back to them."

Minutes later, both Lisa and Alex returned to the entrance grounds. Lisa was now wearing her bag around her shoulder.

"We're back, guys," announced Lisa. "So, as long as there's nothing you have yet to do here, we can head off."

"Oh, yes, we're ready to depart," confirmed Leo. "But we don't know how to actually get to the ruins. Do you by any chance know how we get to the island it's on?"

"Luckily, yes," replied Lisa. "We've been to Southern Coast a few times already, and we know this Drilbur who lives there. He's a sailor, and I'm sure he'll be more than happy to escort us there."

"Ah, excellent! That makes things so much easier for us!" said Leo.

"A Ground-type being a sailor? That's...pretty unusual," commented Susanshi.

"Maybe, but he's the best sailor I know," said Lisa. "In fact...he's the only one I know."

"Then it's settled! We meet this Drilbur and ask him to take us to the ruins!" announced Susanshi. "Lisa, lead the way!"

"Onward! To adventure! To greatness! To mystery!" exclaimed Leo.

"Yeah, very nice. Come on," said Tokot.

"Well, I'll see you girls later today," Lisa said to Melle, Laura and Sarah.

"If you find anything I can chew on, be sure to bring it back!" requested Melle.

"Good luck out there, Lisa" wished Sarah.

"We'll probably be doing some missions of our own or something," said Laura. "I ain't the leader here, Sarah is, so it ain't my decision."

With the group of five now all set and ready, and with the well wishes, they departed, heading towards the west of town and moving out south, where Jade Meadow stood. Along the way, Susanshi took her thoughts to her mind again:

"The ruins... Why am I being led there? What could possibly even await me there? I can only imagine..."


	13. Peril on the Sea

Chapter 13 - Peril on the Sea

The members of Team Revolution and Team RockAxe had walked a far distance. They had traveled through Jade Meadow, and headed east towards the desert areas of Sacreca. Close to where the grass and sand met was a beach. The group were all stood at the shore. The scenery was similar to that of Seashell Shore, only this time the steep cliff was located on the right.

"So, this is Southern Coast," said Leo.

Him and the others were looking out across the vast ocean. Over in the distance was what appeared to be a random formation of rocks raising out of the sea.

"See that over there? That's it, the Ruins of Wyste," explained Lisa.

"It looks so close... That should hopefully mean the trip shouldn't take long," said Leo.

"Right, let's go look for Doug," said Lisa. "He should be around here somewhere."

"Doug? So, I take it that's the Drilbur's name," guessed Susanshi.

"Yep, that's right," confirmed Lisa. "He tends to nap on the beach. Pretty dangerous, really. There's no telling if the tide will come in on him."

"Sounds like he lives a pretty perilous life," commented Susanshi.

"Yes, it does. The sea isn't exactly the safest place in the world, especially for someone of his type," said Lisa.

"Overcoming your weakness for the benefits of it. That's kinda admirable," said Tokot. "If I could do that... Maybe things will be a little better."

"Know your limits, Tokot. I know mine, Alex knows his, so you three should too," explained Lisa. "Confidence is important, but so is safety. Your kind can't live at all if your tail flame were to go out. That's what I mean."

"Well spoken," said Alex. "I can't even go in the water myself..."

"Lisa, always the one with the wise words," commented Leo. "Well..."

He rubbed his hands together.

"...Let's go find this Doug fellow."

Then, Susanshi looked over to the left, where the beach extended. Concerned by the seemingly long distance of it, she mumbled:

"...Um... That might be tough."

"Well, only one way to find out for sure. Let's start looking," said Lisa.

The group then started to journey across the beach. During their trek, Susanshi kept her eyes on the faraway ruins. Simply seeing it gave her this chill. A chill of both wonder and unease. Wonder from the curiosity of this new and intriguing place. Unease from this strange sense of anticipation, like there was a feeling of danger. Susanshi appeared to be the only one who felt this way, as no one else was taking much notice of the distant ruins.

"So, Lisa, Alex. What can you tell us about the ruins?" wondered Leo.

Susanshi, realizing that conversation was beginning, turned her attention away from the ruins and back on the way forward, though the feelings experienced remained.

"Well, from what I've read, the ancient Wystians did not initially live here on the mainland. They all stayed within the ruins, which was once a temple," lectured Lisa. "Then, at some point, they started coming here from the ruins. It was them who founded this land, naming it after their deity. As a result, some citizens are actually descendants of the Wystians. The passage of time hasn't been kind to the incredible powers of the Wystians, though. The powers they once had mastery of is no more."

"Interesting. Are you maybe a descendant yourself?" asked Susanshi.

"No," replied Lisa. "Would be cool if I was, but Alex is."

"Whoa, really? Alex, that's awesome!" exclaimed Leo.

"Yeah... Thanks," responded Alex, seemingly not so excited of the concept for some reason.

"I have to wonder. What happened to the Wystians? And what about Sacreca?" asked Susanshi.

"Nobody knows. There's no book that explains it," replied Lisa. "There's admittedly a gap left in their history."

"Ooh, mysteries!" stated Leo. "...Oh? There's something over there!"

He had spotted something lying on the sand up ahead. The group ran over to the object, which revealed itself to be a small mole-like Pokémon lying on its back and wearing a bright yellow, woolly jumper. The jumper was in bad shape, with rips and tears in it, most likely due to the Pokémon's carelessness with its sharp claws.

"Yes, this is Doug," confirmed Lisa.

"Uh... Is he...dead?" wondered Leo.

"No, silly. He's sleeping. He sleeps quite a lot," replied Lisa.

"Lazy sailor, huh? Are you sure he won't fall asleep at the helm?" asked Tokot.

"Oh no, he doesn't do that. He's far too dedicated for that," claimed Lisa.

"If you say so," said Tokot as he shrugged in doubt.

"Hey! Doug! Wake up! It's me, Lisa!" shouted Lisa, attempting to awaken the slumbering Drilbur.

"ZZZZ... No, no, we're closed for today... ZZZZ..." mumbled Doug, still within the dream world.

"Doug... The tide's coming in," said Lisa casually.

Immediately, the once sleeping Drilbur awoke in a shock, jumping up to his feet.

"Uh...Huh? W-w-what?" he muttered.

Upon turning to see Lisa's recognizable face, he was quick to calm down.

"Oh, h-hey there, Lisa. It's been a while," he said. "Out on Explorer duties, or do you need something from me?"

"The latter's the need, Doug. We need to get to the ruins," said Lisa.

"'We'?" wondered Doug, soon taking the time to see the rest of the group. "Oh, of course! How silly of me! How could I forget about you, Alex?"

"...Hi," muttered Alex.

"Oh, and those strangers," continued Doug.

"Leo, Susanshi and Tokot of Team Revolution, at your service!" announced Leo, seemingly pleased.

"Ah, is that so? Well, always nice to see new faces," said Doug. "So, finally bound for the ancient ruins of the Wystians, eh? No problem, leave it to me!"

He began to walk away from the site, towards the left. The gang followed close.

Just a few minutes later, everybody had reached the site of a lone motorboat on the sands. It was rather small, built from wooden planks and painted white. There was an engine in the back, complete with attached propeller to allow for forward movement. The actual shape of the boat was of an oval, with the front side pointed into a triangle. Within the boat were two sets of planks, built in to act as seat, with a raised section at the back where the engine was situated. Along with that, there was also a goat Pokémon appearing to be asleep nearby.

"There she is! The S.S. Doug!" announced Doug.

"You named a boat after yourself? And you call it a she?" questioned Susanshi.

"Well... Yeah," replied Doug, now no longer sure of himself.

"And who's that Skiddo over there?" wondered Susanshi.

She was of course referring to the sleeping Pokémon.

"Oh, that's Conanom," said Doug. "But never mind that for now, everybody take a seat!"

"Really? On that tiny thing?" questioned Tokot. "That thing couldn't possible support all six of us! Heck, even Carl's...CARL was better! And that's saying a lot!"

"Enough with the unnecessary criticism, Tokot! You should stop judging things from appearance alone!" exclaimed Lisa. "Me and Alex have ridden Doug's boat multiple times, and I can assure you; it's as safe as you'd want it to be!"

"Fine, fine, I believe you on this one," said Tokot. "But if I die along the way, then Mole Guy here's gonna get it from me!"

"But...if you're dead, you can't do anything..." muttered Alex.

Tokot's only response was to give Alex an irritated look.

"Come on, Alex. Let's sit down together," said Lisa.

So, her and Alex made their way over to the beached motorboat, along with Doug, and together pushed it forward into the water.

"Heave-ho...!" grunted Doug.

After a bit more pushing, the motorboat was now within the shallow waters.

"OK! Everyone come on board!" invited Doug.

He hopped into the boat and positioned himself next to the engine, on the raised platform, allowing him to see over the heads of passengers. Lisa and Alex were sat at the back. Tokot, overly careful not to step into the water, made his way into the boat and sat onto the front plank. Leo and Susanshi approached together and sat with him.

"Right, all set then?" asked Doug.

"All set!" announced Lisa, sticking her hand up.

"Great! Hold on tight! We depart...for the Ruins of Wyste!" exclaimed Doug.

He pulled a string on the engine several times, revving it up. Once the engine was set, the boat began to steadily move forwards. The boat soon left the shore and headed out towards the location of the ruins.

As the motorboat and its passengers traversed through the calm and gentle waves of the ocean, Doug was joyfully singing as he controlled only the direction of the boat.

"Doug is my name! And sailing is my game! I sail over here! I sail over there! I sail wherever I must go! Ground-types can't swim, but I do not care! For I sail over here and over there! That's the way I roll! Oh yeah, oh yeah! I sail here and there! I sail for the ruins on this very fine day! I take with me there, that lovable Lisa and her quiet-yet-kind fellow, say that I dare! Along with a penguin, her eyes so bright! A guy of much spirit, helping others from blight! And a hot-hea-ded fool, his tail burning meanly!"

He paused briefly to take a deep breath, and prepared to sing the next part.

"Ohhhhhh-!"

"No! Please, just stop right there!" interrupted Tokot, having being forced to endure the song.

"Ohhhh-!" Doug began to sing again.

"No! No more singing!" insisted Tokot.

"No singing! Fine, fine, you get your wish just this once," said Doug, slightly disappointed.

"Hey, Susanshi, can I ask you something?" said Leo.

"What?" wondered Susanshi.

"How do you feel right now? I mean, how do you feel about being on the sea?" asked Leo.

"Well, I've never sailed before. Yet... I quite enjoy it. It feels really relaxing."

"Well, I feel this...huge sense of adventure! Sure, I felt it while walking through Sacreca Fields and towards Aqua Falls, but this... This just gives me that sense more greatly. I feel more motivated and excited than ever!"

"I kind of get what you mean."

Leo was soon given the impulse to peer over the side of the boat and into the sea. Immediately, he spotted something of interest.

"Whoa! Look at that!" he exclaimed.

"What is it?" asked Susanshi.

"Have a look for yourself!" insisted Leo.

Susanshi, without another word, stood up and went over to the side where Leo was and peered down. Underneath the surface, she could see a school of blue colored fish named Finneon swimming in the direction of the boat and close to the surface.

"Finneon?" pondered Susanshi.

"Ah yes, there are some Finneon that live in the sea around these parts," said Doug.

"Oh hey! That one over there! Look!" called Leo, pointing at one of the swimming Pokémon.

He was inspecting a single Pokémon that appeared to be similar to the surrounding Finneon, only bigger and with more midnight-blue coloring.

"I see it too. It looks like a Lumineon," said Susanshi.

At that moment, the Lumineon leaped out of the water, giving off a dazzling display as water dripped off it, before landing into the water once more. Although the event lasted only a mere second, Leo was left feeling awestruck.

"Awesome!" he cheered.

"Seems like you're really fascinated by the swimming Finneon and Lumineon," chuckled Doug. "You should see them at night; the pink marks on them glow."

"Oh, that's a shame," said Leo, looking up at the sky. "And it's starting to get closer to sunset. If we had come later, then maybe we would have seen it. Ah well, always next time."

The crowd of swimmers then began to descend further down into the water, disappearing from view.

"And there they go," said Susanshi, before returning to where she was once seated.

Leo also sat back down.

Another five minutes into the journey, and the destination was closer than ever.

"Almost there, everyone!" announced Doug.

"Yes, about time. I was starting to feel a little seasick," said Tokot.

"Oh gee, I wonder why that is," muttered Susanshi.

"I wonder what we'll find in the ruins," said Leo.

"There's no telling for sure. Not many people go into them," replied Lisa.

"Ah yes, the sense of discovery!" exclaimed Doug. "Well, for you, that is. I've actually checked out the ruins once."

"Oh, really? What was it like?" asked Leo.

"It was...meh, to be honest," responded Doug.

"What? 'Meh'? Listen, we're going to the ruins for some reason we don't even know about. And you have to inform us that it's meh?! At least tell us something good about it!" snapped Tokot. "Anything in there of interest at all? Ancient artifacts? Valuable jewelry? Lost heirlooms? Anything of financial worth?!"

"We are not here for financial gain, Tokot! We're here because we have to find out what the voice I heard was trying to tell me about!" reminded Susanshi.

"Voice? A voice told you to go to the ruins? I... I'm finding that hard to believe," said Lisa.

"Yeah, it is pretty crazy, but that jewel I was carrying when we returned from the falls... It spoke to me," explained Susanshi. "It told me to go to the ruins, but that's all."

"Hmm, very strange, and I kind of don't want to believe such a crazy story. But... I've heard crazier things."

"Really? What like?"

"...You probably wouldn't want to know..."

"So, voices in your head? Are you sure you can trust it?" wondered Doug.

"Hey, I know it's weird, but there's so much more to it than you think," said Leo. "You'll just have to go with it."

"Well, no matter how weird it sounds, I can't step down from my sailor ways for anyone," said Doug.

"Yeah, thank you very much for cooperating with us," said Susanshi.

"My pleasure," replied Doug. "You know, you young ones are so inspirational. You're all so determined in life."

"Like I totally didn't hear that one before," said Tokot.

"No, I mean it!" continued Doug. "Here you are, hoping to uncover the secret of the ruins. Something not many others have even attempted! Why, in my youth, I was actually rather timid, and was afraid of the outside world. No, TERRIFIED of it!"

"Sounds a lot like me..." Alex said in his mind.

"But then, I decided that enough was enough! Time to remove myself from my shell! And did that, I did! I slowly grew used to the world outside my own burrow. Even overcoming my fear of going near the water! Oh, sweet Sacreca, am I ever glad! The sea is home to so many things to see! I've never been happ-"

Doug had caught something over in the distance. The sight of what he saw made him end his speech so suddenly.

"Huh? Aren't you going to finish?" wondered Susanshi.

Doug didn't reply. Instead he remained silent with a look of worry. Leo turned around to look at him.

"Doug? Is everything OK?" he asked.

"...No... It's not OK," replied Doug.

"Why?" asked Leo.

Doug responded with a mumble, but was inaudible.

"What?! What is it?!" questioned Susanshi, slightly worried.

"Cap'n O-Dile," said Doug.

"Cat-and-O-Die? What?" quizzed a mishearing Tokot.

"Cap'n O-Dile!" shouted Doug, finally clear to the ears.

"Huh? Who's he?" asked Leo.

"The most feared rogue to sail the seas of Sacreca!" replied Doug.

"Oh, a pirate? OK then," said a carefree Tokot.

"Not just a pirate! The most feared pirate of this generation!" exclaimed Doug. "Just look over there!"

Over to the right, a moderately sized ship was approaching, as if it had spotted Doug's little motorboat and was locked onto it.

"Looks like it's heading this way!" said Susanshi.

"If I know Cap'n O-Dile and his crew, then he really is!" said Doug.

"Then get us outta here! Don't just admire it!" demanded Tokot.

"But... This is the fastest she'll go..." uttered Doug.

"...Great..." mumbled Tokot sarcastically.

The ship just kept getting larger and larger as it drew closer. It seemed like nothing could be done now. Soon, the ship was so close to the boat that it almost crashed into it. It turned around so that it was sailing adjacent to the boat. The group all stared up at its hulking hull of wood, towering around eight feet high, complete with huge white cloth sails for momentum. It just hung around in a seemingly harmless-yet-unsettling way.

"I am not liking this one bit," Leo said in worry.

"Well, no getting away now," sighed Doug. "We're done for."

"No... We're not going to just sit back!" objected Susanshi. "We're going to fight!"

"Good idea, Susanshi! Bring it on, pirates!" shouted Tokot.

Then, a rope began to fall down from above. The end was tied into a loop. The loop wrapped around Susanshi's waist, before closing up, grabbing hold of her, then finally pulling her up to the deck.

"No! Susanshi!" called out Leo in angst.

Soon, three more ropes appeared, catching Leo, Alex and Doug. The rope aiming for Alex went a little lower than his waist, instead wrapping around his left ankle and pulling him up upside-down. With him, Leo and Doug were also taken away.

"Ah! They're got me with their foul grasp!" exclaimed Doug.

Two final ropes descended, capturing Tokot and Lisa. As they got pulled up out of the boat, Tokot grabbed hold of his tail and attempted to burn at the rope with his flame. It was going just as planned, but the burning was occurring rather slowly.

"Come on, burn faster!" Tokot snapped.

After a short time, he was finally on board the ship, still suspended off the ground. All six ropes were attached to a sort of rack device on four wheels that pulled them in by way of a lever, being controlled by a Meditite, a Pokémon with a blue-white color scheme, wearing a black bandana over his pointed head. He was twisting the lever to pull in the ropes holding Lisa and Tokot. On deck, Susanshi, Leo, Alex and Doug were all freed and were stood together, appearing unharmed. They weren't alone though, there were five other Pokémon about, all dressed in fairly basic pirate garb. They were a Pancham, a panda Pokémon with a tiny leaf in its mouth and an eye patch over its right eye, a Natu, a small green bird wearing a generic pirate hat with a skull-and-crossbones symbol, a Slowpoke, a pink Pokémon lazing about on its belly with a black bandana, a Palpitoad, a Pokémon miserably lacking arms, carrying a small sword in its mouth and an eye patch on the left eye. And finally a Mankey, a primate-like Pokémon featuring a pig-nose and a black bandana on the head. They were all stood together to the side, keeping a close eye on the group.

"What's this? They set you free?!" questioned Tokot, still burning at the rope.

"Yes, actually," replied Doug. "They were really nice to do so."

Then, the Meditite moved away from the lever and made his way over to Lisa and Tokot, who were now dangling just inches above the ground. Holding a small red pocket knife, he cut at Lisa's rope, setting her free. Not hesitating in the slightest, Lisa took immediate advantage of the freedom and ran over to Alex.

"Are you OK, Alex?" she asked.

"Yes. I landed on my head, but I'm fine," Alex assured.

The Meditite proceeded to cut Tokot loose, reaching out towards the rope with his pocket knife. The blade had only just made light, physical contact with the rope when Tokot said:

"Hey! I don't need your help! I can free myself!"

The flame had almost burnt through the entire rope at this point. The Meditite simply shrugged and stood back. Shortly, Tokot finally got himself free from suspension, falling to the ground and pulling the rope around him over his head and onto the floor.

"OK, I don't know what you all want, but we don't have time to hang out with you oh-so-scary pirates. So, how's about we abandon ship?" said Tokot.

"Naw, ye be goin' nowhere!" replied the Meditite.

"And why's that?" asked Tokot.

"We be wantin' yer loot!" exclaimed the Pancham.

"Yah! Loot! Give us yer loot!" demanded the Natu.

"Yeah... Loot good," mumbled the Slowpoke, after letting out a yawn.

"Give the loot, or escape ya may not!" said the Mankey.

"Mmmph!" said the Palpitoad, the sword muffling his voice.

"Really now? Well, sorry to disappoint all of you sad fools, but we ain't got loot!" explained Tokot. "Especially me! We're no use to you!"

"Argh! That what they all say! We too good fer silly li'l lies sucha that!" said the Pancham.

"Oh, so that's how you wanna play, is it? Alright then, come at me!" said Tokot.

"Stop!" bellowed another voice.

"Sir!" shouted all the pirates in unison, standing straight up and putting one hand to their foreheads, apart from the Palpitoad and Slowpoke.

"That voice... It's him..." said Doug.

"Psst! Tokot! Get over here!" whispered Leo.

Tokot did just that without a word, but only a sigh. Now, the group were all lined up together, from left to right, Susanshi, Lisa, Alex, Doug, Leo and Tokot. Footsteps were then heard. One final Pokémon was approaching, wearing not only a similar hat to the Natu's, but also an eye patch over the right eye, as well as a cutlass in a scabbard attached to a strap and hanging on the left side of the body.

"Is that...him?" asked Leo.

"Yes, that's definitely him," confirmed Doug. "It's Cap'n O-Dile!"

The character being referred to was a blue crocodile known as a Totodile. He made his way over to the group, grinning the whole way. He stopped in front of them.

"Argh... So... Ye be the unlucky ones ta bump inta us?" he quizzed.

"Yes, we are," replied Leo nervously. "And it's...really unfortunate. We uh... We really should get going now!"

"Not so fast!" snapped Cap'n O-Dile, pointing at Leo. "We want yer loot. Yer can make this easy or 'ard! Yer choice, mateies!"

"Oh man, such a difficult choice..." muttered Leo.

"Naw! I know what ta do! I'll check ye all one by one!" said Cap'n O-Dile. "Aye, but wait, where be me matters? I don't usually do greetin's, but ah, what the 'ey? So! Ye already know me; I be Cap'n O-Dile, most feared rogue in all o' Sacreca! And dis...be me trusty crew."

He prepared to introduce the other pirates, pointing at each one as he went along.

"The Pancham! He be Panda-monium!"

"Seriously? His name is a pun?" questioned Tokot.

"Silence! It be 'is name, aye?" responded Cap'n O-Dile. "Anyways, this 'ere be Birdie the Natu! He be the parrot o' sorts!"

"Tweet tweet!" chirped the Natu. "Uh... I mean... Aye! I be Birdie!"

"This here be the Meditite named... Uh, what be yer name?" continued Cap'n O-Dile.

"You forgot the pirate name I was given again?" questioned the Meditite. "Whoops! I mean... Ahem... I be Medi! Argh!"

"Ah, aye, Medi!" said O-Dile. "Now, this be... Slow the Slowpoke!"

"Ooh, originality!" said Tokot sarcastically.

"The Pal'toad be No-Arms!" said O-Dile.

"Mmmph..." mumbled the Palpitoad with a barely-noticeable disappointed tone.

"An' finally, 'ere we 'ave... Mr. Angry the Mankey!" concluded O-Dile.

"Man, this is kinda losing its edge," whispered Birdie to Panda-monium.

"You're telling me," replied Panda-monium.

"Aye, now the intros be over! I be startin' with the searchin' fer loot!" said O-Dile. "Aye, time fer the checkin'! Yarr, I be startin' with the green lad der!"

At that time, he approached Alex.

"You'd better not hurt Alex!" exclaimed Lisa, placing her arm onto Alex's back in a protective manner.

O-Dile broke his attention away from Alex, now fixing it onto Lisa while still stood where he was.

"Hawhawhaw! I be threatened by a wee lass? Yer gotta be jokin'!" he said.

He focused back on Alex. He began to frisk him, feeling around his bandana when he discovered something. He reached into the back of the bandana, entering the hidden pocket, grabbing hold of the harmonica and pulling it out. He began to examine it.

"H-hey! Give that back!" shouted Alex.

"Ooh, not a bad find I 'ave 'ere!" commented O-Dile. "But... It ain't o' much value ta us!"

He turned away, throwing the harmonica over his shoulder. Alex successfully caught it and instantly hid it away again.

"So... One o' ya don't 'ave much for I. Pity," said O-Dile. "But ah well, I still 'ave more o' ye ta check! I be-"

He was cut off mid-speech by coughing. Coughing coming from himself.

"Um... Are you OK?" wondered Leo in much confusion.

O-Dile's coughing grew more violent as he placed one hand on his throat. Soon after, the coughing stopped, leaving him breathing in deeply.

"Ugggh... This pirate voice...is hurting my throat," he gasped.

He took one last moment to himself, and soon after he was back to his standard ways.

"Aye! Enough o' dis messin'!"

His voice was now slightly strained.

"And now you're no longer scary," commented Tokot. "Not that you were before."

"Bah! I ain't listenin'!" snapped O-Dile. "No one dares ta stand up ta pirate gang o' Sacreca! I are make ye all wish you never set sail round 'ere! An' ye, I be talkin' to all six o' ye! 'Specially YA, ye walkin' matchstick! I should douse dat flame o' yers! An' den I do in the rest o' ye! You, penguin! Ye lookin' like a weaklin'! Ye will be easy!"

"You're really confident about that, aren't you?" asked Susanshi, no longer feeling the fear of the pirate captain.

"Ain't confident, just certain 'bout it!" claimed O-Dile, before pointing to Leo. "Aye, I bet ye goodie bag is filled ta the brim with all sorts o' treasures! Panda-monium! Check 'em!"

"Aye-aye!" responded Panda-monium.

He advanced over to Leo, and attempted to reach into his bag.

"No! Don't even think about it!" said Leo, rearing back.

"Gimme a break! Ye can't stop me!" claimed Panda-monium, before snatching the bag off Leo by the strap.

"No hidin' things from me!"

He opened it up and started exploring through its depths.

"Well? Anythin' good?" wondered O-Dile as he waited and watched anxiously.

"Naw, nothin' good," replied Panda-monium.

"Well, shiver me timbers! Tha' be two o' 'em bein' worthless ta us!" lamented O-Dile. "Bah, no matter! We can still do 'em in, just fer the fun o' it!"

He continued his observation of his company, starting with Doug.

"Aye, the li'l mole!"

He then emitted yet another cough, this time much more tame.

"Anyways, yer get-up is a right mess! Why ye bother with it, lad? Ye shoulda gone nude!"

"B-but my momma gave me this jumper..." sobbed Doug.

"Aye, ye claws be doin' more damage ta ye than others!" continued O-Dile.

He turned his attention to Lisa, but only for a split second as if he lacked any interest in her, before turning to Alex.

"Aye! Th' green lad o' the 'idden musical thingamajig!"

"Harmonica..." uttered Alex.

"Aye, whatever!" snapped O-Dile insolently. "Ye, green lad, ye look like the weakest o' all o' 'em! And ye all look weak ta dis eye o' me! So, what be yer problem, green lad? Ye awfully quiet dere."

"Haha! 'Ey, Cap'n! The green lad look funny ta me!" commented Mr. Angry.

"Aye, ye be right, Mr. Angry! Look at 'im!" said O-Dile. "Dem eyes o' yers, lad. Dey ain't workin' on ye! An' dat face o' yers; it be ultra wimpy-lookin'! Aye, sucks fer ye!"

He then turned to face the rest of his crew, sticking out his arms by his sides.

"Who with me 'ere? Green lad be a joke o' a Pokémon, aye?"

"Aye, Cap'n! He unworthy!" agreed Panda-monium.

"Haha! I be with ye, Cap'n!" said Birdie.

"Yeah... Whatever you say..." mumbled Slow in conjunction with a long yawn.

"Don't you even dare go down that path..." warned Lisa.

"Or else what, eh lass?" wondered O-Dile.

Lisa immediately equipped herself with an expression filled with hostility. She daringly stepped forward and confronted the captain, cracking her knuckles.

"Oh? Ye be wantin' ta pick a fight? Don't be silly, lass!"

"I warned you about picking on Alex, Captain," said Lisa. "But you went along with it regardless. Alex doesn't deserves this kind of treatment! You almost crossed the line, so now you deal with ME!"

"Pull me nonexistent wooden leg!" said O-Dile. "Ye be only a lass! Ye obviously ain't built fer fightin'!"

"Don't judge me by just my outward look alone," warned Lisa. "I'm a lot stronger than you may think!"

"Ah, so ye ain't backin' off after all. Very well then, lass. Have at ye!" exclaimed O-Dile.

"I warned you, Captain..." said Lisa as she removed her bag from around her shoulder and held it up by the strap. "Guys, take my bag."

She threw it backwards, allowing it to be caught by Leo.

"Ye still be lackin' a chance, lass! Fer dere be one o' ye...and five o' us! Yer outnumbered, lass!" mentioned O-Dile. "Yer be torn apart an' savaged like a loath o' bread, thrown out fer bein' days past the best before date, bein' feasted on by many starvin' Pidgey!"

"Still doesn't worry me," said Lisa.

She began to hold her arms into the air, along with her head. Then, she initiated a pirouette-like motion, spinning on one foot. She made a full rotation in one direction, stretched her arms out and balanced on her foot while leaning forwards, repeating the pose at the start of the spinning, then turned in the other direction. This procedure continued, now with blue spark-like energy and small red clouds of smoke coming from her body as she glowed a light red.

After a rather tense amount of seconds, she finished by dispelling the energy from her body. Now she was clenching her fists, standing still once again.

"That move... Was that...?" wondered Susanshi.

"Yes... Dragon Dance," answered Leo. "Man, these pirates really don't stand a chance now."

The Team Revolution members, Doug and Alex, still sat on the floor, all watched as Lisa remained braced and ready for battle.

"Dancin' ain't gonna save ye 'ere!" exclaimed O-Dile. "Alright, lads... CHARRRGE!"

Medi, Birdie and Panda-monium galloped fiercely towards Lisa and surrounded her. Lisa's first unlucky target was Medi, who was the first to head towards her alone, preparing a Karate Chop. She swiftly swiped at him with her right claw as it emitted an attacking energy. This attack was Dragon Claw. It ripped strongly at Medi, only made more powerful by the previous stat-boosting dance. The force knocked Medi effortlessly to the ground; a one-hit KO. Next, Birdie flew off the ground and approached Lisa, attempting to land onto her head. His plan was to Peck at her from on top, but Lisa could easily see him flying over her head, so she aimed a blue flame-like power, known as Dragon Rage, into the air where Birdie was, knocking him out of the air before he could do anything. He didn't go down so easily though, hastening back up onto his feet. Panda-monium, upon emitting a sort of high-pitched battle cry, dashed over to Lisa. Lisa's swift reactions allowed her to perform a sideways somersault, flipping just out of the Pancham's way as he ran by. He came to a halt as Lisa landed, before quickly turned back around, but before he could do anything to retaliate, Lisa struck him down with a Dragon Claw, resulting in him falling just as easily as Medi did. O-Dile, in response to the one-sided brawl, simply crossed his arms and showed a look of impatience.

"Argh! Ye just be lucky, lass!" said Mr. Angry.

He charged at Lisa, sliding towards her with a single foot out, ready for a Low Kick attack. Lisa quickly dodged to the side, leaving the Mankey to slide to a stop, leaving him to fall onto his back. He jumped back onto his feet and tried the move once more. Lisa back-flipped away and backed up in front of Slow, who was harmlessly spectating the fight. Mr. Angry, now showing signs of living up to his name, became enraged and tried the sliding kick move once again, this time it came at Lisa much faster. Lisa back-flipped once more over Slow, leaving Mr. Angry to hit him in the face instead. Lisa, reflecting on her opportunity, then grabbed hold of Slow's tail and began to spin him around in circles on the spot. She went faster and faster, and Slow soon left the ground completely. The spinning continued with Lisa now in control of her position, moving about while still rotating. She hit Mr. Angry with Slow's body, knocking him away a short distance. Lisa concluded the wild twirling by removing her grip from Slow's tail at just the right moment, throwing him into Birdie, who was stood at his spot. Slow landed directly on top of him, rendering him helpless under his weight, which was too much for his tiny frame to budge.

"Hey! You're crushing me here! Get off me!" Birdie's muffled voice cried out.

Slow remained still, letting out a long, drawn-out yawn.

Mr. Angry was now becoming more agitated than ever.

"Argggggh!" he screamed. "You're making me blow my top! That's it! Time for Thrash!"

He worked himself up, jumping up and down. Once he stopped, he charged towards Lisa at a high speed. Lisa also charged towards him. It appeared as if she was not going to do anything but continue decreasing the distance between her and her opponent. They locked stares, refusing to back off. It seemed as if they would force a collision with each other, but at the very last open second, Lisa twisted her head slightly towards the right. Her left tusk was now in Mr. Angry's way. It gleamed as an energy shot protruded from it, striking across his face as Lisa turned her direction and ran past, leaving him rooted to the spot in pain. Lisa circled quickly back around, running into Mr. Angry's back while he was still. This time she readied her right tusk in the same manner, striking him with a direct hit and knocking him onto his belly, defeated.

"That was Dual Chop, right?" wondered Susanshi, after seeing Lisa's powerful performance.

"Yeah..." replied Alex quietly.

Lisa stood before her last opponent, who was No-Arms, knees bent and arms out.

"Mmmmmmph!" No-Arms's muzzled voiced cried out, being the last one standing.

With only his sword still held by the mouth, he ran rather slowly towards Lisa. With no other hope, he believed that this is all he could possibly do. However, unlucky for him, Lisa was far too prepared for him. She stood her ground and waited for her target to get within claw reach. Before No-Arms could even throw himself into Lisa, she gave a quick swipe of Dragon Claw to his face. Upon the moment of impact, the sword No-Arms was carrying dropped to the floor, himself following shortly after. With that, all of O-Dile's minions were effortlessly wiped out.

"Dang, she's good," commented Susanshi, left stunned in pure awe.

O-Dile, on the other hand, was left feeling shocked and worried, having been left to stand aside and let his entire crew get beaten to the ground so easily.

"Uh oh! We're in trouble!" he said in his mind.

He then hid his inner fear away.

"Argh, I underestimated ye, lass! Ye swabbed the deck with me crew! But now ye luck be runnin' out 'ere!"

He placed his right hand onto the handle of his cutlass.

"Now... Ye must do battle with me!"

He yanked the whole weapon out of its scabbard and grasped it firmly, pointing its tip at Lisa. The cutlass was not only super-sharp, but also appeared expertly made.

"Consider me ready, captain!" announced Lisa, her attention firmly on her next opponent.

"En garde!" cried out O-Dile, launching himself full-body at Lisa.

The battle was on, and O-Dile was swiping his cutlass at Lisa. In defense, Lisa blocked the attacks with her own tusks, using them as her own pair of blades. There was the sound of constant clanging as the enforced steel and well-maintained ivory collided repeatedly.

"Sure wish I had some popcorn," said Tokot, him and the others watching on.

"Me too, actually," said Leo. "This is getting epic!"

"Hey! Don't forget me!" said Susanshi.

The duelists continued a chain of attacking and defending: Lisa was blocking swipes of the blade with her attack-mode tusks, swinging her head about in time with the onslaughts, all while using open opportunities to swipe her tusks at her opponent. O-Dile was relying solely on his trusted sword, swinging it at Lisa, while dodging all of her own attacks. They didn't stay still either; they kept themselves moving all around the deck.

"Yarr, ye be good at dis defendin' game, lass! commented O-Dile during the battle. "But 'ow long can ye keep it up before ye tire?"

"A long time, captain," replied Lisa.

Minutes past, and none of the duelists showed any fatigue, nor did they sustain any damage.

"Wow... This is getting kind of boring," said Leo, now sat on the floor.

"You're telling me, Leo," agreed Tokot. "Yo! Do something else, will ya?!" he then called out to the fighters. "This isn't going anywhere!"

The battlers then decided to stop.

"Aye! The talkin' torch be right! We be too evenly matched fer dis!" said O-Dile.

"Well then... What do you suggest we do?" asked Lisa.

"It be obvious!" replied O-Dile, before throwing his cutlass to the floor. "We battle the classic way!"

"Very well then. Let's go!" obliged Lisa.

Ditching the sword-style combat, the pair began to fight using their more traditional attacks. Lisa started off with a forward lunge and Dragon Claw combo. O-Dile dodged to the side and retaliated by biting down onto Lisa's arm. She reacted lightly from the pain being experienced and desperately tried to shake him off. The grip of his teeth was proving to be rather strong. With no other clear option known to her, Lisa was left to resort to spinning around in circles in an attempt to force O-Dile off, all while causing his hat to fly off of his head in the process. It worked after some time, leaving him to go flying through the air and slamming hard into the ship's mast and falling back down. Lisa then inspected her arm: where O-Dile's teeth had bitten down, wounds were made in the skin, bleeding a little. Enduring the pain, she stood in place, waiting for O-Dile's next move. Now back on his feet, he reared his head back, then tilting it back and firing a jet of water from it. Lisa remained still, allowing the Water Gun to hit her. After the stream ceased, she appeared to be unaffected by it, much to O-Dile's surprise.

"Thanks. I feel refreshed," praised Lisa.

"Bah! The water won't do much!" exclaimed O-Dile with frustration. "But I be havin' other moves!"

He then charged at Lisa with his jaws opened wide. With instinct informing Lisa, she braced herself, believing that another Bite was coming. But instead, the captain's top incisors gave off a chilly-looking energy. Seeing this, Lisa began to look concerned.

"No! Not Ice Fang!" she uttered in her mind.

Still under the influence of instinct, she stayed put and allowed O-Dile to pounce onto her. He was now leaning over her, trying to get his jaws to reach Lisa, while she was holding him back as best she could with only her arms. She appeared to be struggling as she kept him away, while his jaws were desperate to chomp down. Alex appeared to be worrying slightly, seeing Lisa in trouble.

"Come on, Lisa!" he shouted encouragingly.

Lisa then jerked a leg forward in a kicking motion, the foot hitting O-Dile in the shin and knocking him off. He was left hopping while holding onto his leg. A few seconds later, and he was back to fighting spirit. He ran over to Lisa and attempted a Slash attack with his claws. Lisa countered with a Dragon Claw, resulting in the two attacks' energy colliding. After several more attack conflicts, the two backed off. O-Dile suddenly fled, heading over to the ladder at the side of the mast.

He began to cowardly climb up to the top, where the crow's-nest was situated. Lisa gave chase, going up after him. Refusing to look back, O-Dile just kept on ascending. Upon reaching the peak, he climbed up into the crow's-nest, along with Lisa, still on his tail.

With the two within the crow's-nest, Susanshi, Leo, Tokot and Alex could no longer see them; their position didn't allow them to witness any more. Instead, all they could hear were grunting sounds from Lisa and O-Dile, as well as basic battle-style sounds. They all remained silent in anticipation. Things maintained this way until the sounds of the grunting and fighting fell, replaced with heavy breathing. Then, suddenly, the dueling pair went crashing straight through the side of the crow's-nest. Lisa was positioned above O-Dile as they fell to the floor. Upon landing, along with multiple planks of broken wood, Lisa jumped off and stood in front of O-Dile. O-Dile himself stood back up and did the same. They continued the deep breathing, both sides finally showing signs of exhaustion. They ran to each other once more and grabbed each others' hands, trying to push the other side back. This went on for a while, with nothing even occurring.

Lisa and Cap'n O-Dile, their stamina wearing away, remained locked in their formation. Susanshi and others, still watching, were appearing to look bored.

"Y-ya gonna give up, l-lass?" mumbled O-Dile.

"No... I won't give up!" replied Lisa.

"This...isn't going anywhere," commented Susanshi.

"I'm gonna go sleep now. Wake me up when it's over, OK?" said Tokot, before lying down onto his belly and shutting his eyes, which couldn't bear the sight of the equally-matched and now uninteresting battle.

With Lisa and O-Dile finally stopping their attempts to knock each other down, they both let go and began to bash their claw attacks together again. This went on for just a few seconds, with them not moving from their spots. And then, without warning, O-Dile froze dead in his tracks. It seemed as if he was struck in the back by something. And indeed he was: Alex had abruptly produced a formation of rocks and fired them into O-Dile's back. O-Dile, holding onto his back, finally fell conquered to the floor.

"Yarr... I'm...beat..." he grunted.

"Er... H-huh? It's over?" mumbled Tokot, reopening his eyes and standing up.

"Wow, that was...sudden," commented Doug.

"What WAS that?" wondered Leo.

"It looked like it came from Alex," stated Susanshi.

"Alex? Was that really you?" questioned Lisa, still trying to accept the events.

"Yes, it was..." responded Alex.

"I don't know what I just witnessed, but it looked like Alex just randomly materialized rocks out of nowhere and sent them flying at Cap'n O-Dile," said Susanshi.

"Yes, that's his Stone Edge attack," said Lisa. "Alex...doesn't really fight much, but when he does, well...as you saw, he can be pretty powerful.

"I...just wanted to help, Lisa. I didn't want you to lose, so... I just stepped in..." said Alex.

"Oh, well, thank you, Alex," said Lisa. "Kind of out-of-the-blue, but I can't really complain."

She took a moment to rest, letting herself relax while taking in large intakes of air.

"Does this mean...I'm finally getting stronger?" pondered Alex.

"Of course! Sure, you sort of stole the KO from me, but it was at a critical time," explained Lisa.

With these words of positivity, Alex gave a small satisfied smile.

After a brief moment of silence, a groan was heard. It was O-Dile, struggling back up onto his feet.

"You're not done yet?" questioned Lisa.

"No... I'm throwing in the towel..." grunted O-Dile, now stood up. "Well lass, you did it. You beat us all."

"Huh? Where'd the pirate accent go?" asked Leo.

"OK, I'll level with you all. You see... We really are pirates, but the whole talking like a pirate was fake," confessed O-Dile. "It was an act to seem tougher."

"Well, it didn't work. It was just embarrassing," said Tokot.

"Aye, I mean yes. I brought the wrong kind on board," said O-Dile. "Sorry to waste your time."

He appeared to be miserable and disappointed with himself.

"Well, talk about a twist," said Doug. "You're supposed to be Cap'n O-Dile, the most feared rogue to sail the seas of Sacreca!"

"Well... Not really," replied O-Dile. "And I'm not really Cap'n O-Dile. I'm actually... Charlie. And as for my crew... Medi's real name is Tommy. Birdie's really Benny, Panda-monium's Andy, Slow's Marcus, No-Arms is Trevor, and Mr. Angry's...is Josh."

"Cap'n! Ye just used our real names!" exclaimed Panda-monium, now noticeably conscious and stood on two feet.

"Enough of the pirate talk, it's over," sighed Charlie.

"Really? No more pretend now?" questioned Benny, still trapped under Slow's weight.

"Yes, Benny. No more pretend," confirmed Charlie. "Let's face it: we suck. I don't want to ever see your faces again. Off with you! Go!"

"You only have yourselves to blame to bringing us up here in the first place," said Tokot.

"I know that. And I'm sorry for the trouble," said Charlie. "Go on, use the ropes on the rack to lower yourself back down onto your own boat."

"Wow, you're strangely nice," commented Susannshi.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," dismissed Charlie. "All I wanted was to be rich... Oh well, maybe we'll try to catch someone weaker than the blue-eyed lass." He then turned his back away from the group and made his way over to the opposite side of the ship.

"Um... Thanks, Charlie," said Lisa. "We'd better get going, guys."

She approached the rack. Alex went up to it as well. They wheeled the rack together close to the side of the ship, allowing the ropes still attached to it to dangle down over the hull. Lisa and Alex then made their way to the rope.

"Oh wait, Lisa. Don't you want your bag back?" asked Leo, still holding Lisa's bag in his hands.

"Ah yes, I almost forgot," said Lisa. "Hand it over, please."

Leo moved up to Lisa and gave her the bag. She wrapped the strap around her shoulder.

"Yes, there's some first aid in my bag," she said.

She climbed over the railing of the ship and grabbed tightly onto the rope, before moving herself down it and back into the motorboat below. Alex soon followed.

"My turn," said Susanshi, approaching the rope and climbing down, followed, by Doug and Tokot.

"Lousy excuses for pirates, honestly," said Tokot as he traveled down the rope.

Leo was then the last to return to the boat.

Meanwhile, as Cap'n O-Dile, AKA Charlie, was staring out over the sea from over the railing. His spirit was feeling severely down. Andy approached him in an attempt to comfort him.

"Don't worry, Charlie. Let's try to do better next time," he said.

"Yeah... Not a bad idea," replied Charlie. "You know, Andy... I'm starting to wonder why we became pirates in the first place. It was a stupid idea!"

"Well, maybe you did take it a little too far," said Andy. "How's about we call it quits for now."

"But being a pirate is so much fun! I mean, think of all the money we invested in getting this amazing ship built!"

"Money well wasted."

"Awww, nuts."

Charlie felt highly displeased, wondering what he would do now.

Meanwhile, the group were now all back together on Doug's motorboat, sat back in their original positions.

"Does it hurt?" asked Alex to Lisa, as they looked down upon her bite wounds.

"A little," replied Lisa. "Get the bandage out."

Alex proceeded to open up Lisa's bag and took out a small roll of fabric, surgical tape and some cotton wool stuffed into a ball. He started by taking hold of the cotton wool ball and gently rubbing it across the streaks of blood that had ran down Lisa's arm from the wounds, top and bottom, before taking the bandage and wrapping it all around the arm, covering up the wounds securely. After making a few laps around the arm, he held the roll in the air, then Lisa cut the bandage with a quick swipe of a tusk, allowing Alex to neatly apply some of the tape, specially made for bandages, to the edge of the aid to prevent it from unraveling. All that now remained were spots of blood emerging through the layers of bandage.

"Thank you, Alex," said Lisa as she wrapped her arms around Alex to form a brief hug.

"Well... I do what I can," said Alex.

"You'll be fine, right?" wondered Susanshi.

"Yep. I've sustained many injuries during my three years as an Explorer, so I'm used to it," replied Lisa. "And these latest wounds should be healed within a few days."

"Wow, it must take a lot to bear all that pain," said Susanshi.

"Well, yeah, it does," confirmed Lisa. "But it all pays off."

"And you should be thankful Alex knows first aid," continued Susanshi.

"We both do, actually," corrected Lisa. "I taught Alex myself."

"Ah, I see," said Susanshi.

"Hey, let's no longer wait around here!" called Doug, stood at the engine. "We depart again for the ruins! Let's go!"

He then began to rev up the engine.

"Oh yeah! We've delayed for so long, I almost forgot!" said Leo. "Come on, Doug!"

"All ready to go!" announced Doug, the engine now ready.

Soon, the boat resumed its journey at long last, leaving behind the hulking vessel as it steered around it.

"Yes! Finally, we're on the move again!" said a relieved Tokot.

"Ohhhhhh...!" Doug uttered, ready for another song. "Cap'n O-Dile, a once feared pirate, turned out so lame, indeed I'm right! His crews' battlin' ways, did not make their days!"

"Oh great, time to endure this again," groaned Tokot.

"Heh, ah well. At least it sets the mood," said Leo, bearing a small smile.


	14. The Road to Ruin

Chapter 14 - The Road to Ruin

It had only been a short amount of minutes since the passing of the unusual encounter. Things were oddly quiet since then, no conversation at all, even from Doug. Soon, the silence was gone, as Leo randomly said in a pirate voice:

"Yarr, landlubber! It be time fer ye to walk the plank!"

Tokot reacted by turning his head to Leo.

"Please, never do that again..." he spoke bluntly.

"It's fun! Now it's clear why they did it!" said Leo.

"Yes, well, just don't do it," requested Tokot. "It's bad enough being on this uneasy and potentially unsafe boat ride."

"But it IS safe! I'm driving!" gloated Doug.

"Pfft! It may be safe, but it certainly isn't swift enough to avoid danger," grunted Tokot.

The destination the group were all bound for was closer than it could ever be.

"There it is, guys..." said Leo, staring up at what laid ahead. "The Ruins of Wyste."

"It's so much bigger than I imagined," said Susanshi.

"We'll be docking soon. Hold on," announced Doug.

"Isn't this exciting, Alex?" Lisa asked. "We're finally going to discover what lays inside together."

"I can't wait, Lisa," replied Alex.

Soon, the boat's motor powered down, stopping at the base of the island where the ruins were sat.

"Ah, dry land again!" said Tokot with relief.

He and the rest disembarked from the boat, stepping onto a soft dirt ground raised inches above the water. The surrounding area appeared empty and uninhabited, yet life still stirred: rich grass and a whole assortment of natural plant life.

"Hmm, we haven't reached the actual ruins yet, but the place doesn't seem all that...ruined," said Leo.

"This place rarely sees visitors, and the island has never been recolonized since the Wystians left for the mainland," explained Lisa. "All that's here now is this vegetation."

"Well, I guess there are still some areas in Sacreca that lack life," said Susanshi.

"So, where are the ruins?" asked Leo.

Up ahead were a tall flight of stone slabs forming steps leading up to some raised land with steep cliffs all around. The slabs themselves looked to be a victim of age, as they appeared crooked in places, and even loose and unstable.

"It's obviously up there!" said Tokot.

"Oh, you don't say?" replied Leo.

"Hey, you were the one who asked!" snapped Tokot.

"Settle down, we've found the way. That's all that matters, right?" said Lisa. "Now, come on. Let's make our way up those steps."

Everybody began to head up the steps, only to soon realize that they were rather steep.

"Ooh, this is going to be rather tiring," said Leo.

"Put some muscle into it, because we ain't waiting for you if you get left behind!" said Tokot.

"You know what? You're right. I could do with a little more muscle tone," said Leo.

"You're making too many promises, Leo. You'd better stop before you embarrass yourself."

"Hey, hey, hey! There's still that bet going on between us!"

"...You just had to bring that up again. Bah, who am I kidding? You've got no chance of winning it!"

"Too soon to say, Tokot!"

"Says you," said Tokot with a bit of snark.

"Says me, indeed!"

"And there's the problem."

"I don't think so!"

"Guys! Don't argue again!" demanded Susanshi.

"Boys being boys again," said Lisa.

"Tell me about it," agreed Susanshi.

"Oh, but not you of course, Alex," assured Lisa.

"You can't even beat me to the top of the stairs!" exclaimed Tokot, the spat between him and Leo still in full swing.

"I can!" insisted Leo.

"You're too weak for that!" said Tokot.

"Then it's on!" shouted Leo.

Him and Tokot began to run up the steps in a race to the top, leaving everybody else behind.

"Um... I don't think they should be running up such weak steps..." mentioned Alex. "They look like they could dislodge at any moment..."

The two opponents remained neck-and-neck for a while. Soon, Leo was beginning to slow down, huffing and puffing from quick exhaustion.

"No... I-I'm not...g-giving u-u-up!" he gasped.

He then fell to his knees, breathing heavily.

"Looks like I win!" called out Tokot from higher up. "Now...to reach the top...and rub it all in your fa-fa... Ugh... F-face!"

He was now suffering the same ordeal as Leo, gasping for air.

"Huff... Huff... These damn steps!"

Susanshi, Doug, Lisa and Alex, walking at normal speed, had now reached Leo, who was still resting on the spot.

"Come on, Leo, don't give up now," said Susanshi, walking past.

"Don't worry, S-Susanshi. I'll be th-there in a moment!" huffed Leo.

"Just take it slow like us," advised Susanshi.

Once the group passed by Tokot, he had recovered from tiredness.

"OK, OK, forget the race," he said. "Stairs aren't friendly enough for that."

At long last, the travelers, besides Leo, had reached the top of the steps. Atop the cliff, which they had just climbed, was a desolate and dreary temple-like structure, built entirely from a pale, beige-colored stone. The structure itself resembled a square shape, with two other similarly shaped sections stood on top of each other, getting smaller each time. The smallest and topmost section had a huge hole in the front wall. All over the surface area of the building were square holes, most likely used as windows. The surrounding land was even more abundant in natural growth, just like below the cliff. The only visible way inside the temple was a gaping archway in the front of the construction. On the ground in front of the temple were a group of large stone slabs, the same color as the building itself, along with a huge circular slab in the center. Inscribed into it was the top horn-like shapes and lower sickle shapes, the exact same emblem seen on Master Eag's necklace and the peak of the Tower of Wyste.

"The Ruins of Wyste... We're finally here," said Susanshi, drawn in by the sight before her.

"Sure is quite a sight for the eyes, isn't it?" said Doug.

Just then, Leo caught up.

"Huff... Huff... What'd I miss?" he asked as he stood with the rest of the group.

"Only that," replied Doug, pointing at the ruins.

Leo tilted his head up, catching sight of it.

"Wow, what a spectacle," he muttered.

"It's so different up close. And that pale color just doesn't look natural to me," commented Lisa.

"That's just age. Over time the stone lost its natural color," explained Alex.

"Then it was probably a darker color in the past," said Susanshi. "Could sunlight be a factor?"

"Exposure to sunlight causes the natural pigment to fade away, creating a sort of...new color," Alex explained.

"Looks like you're getting used to talking around us," mentioned Susanshi.

"It's like that with me..." replied Alex. "Just get used to new faces. If I feel comfortable around them, then yeah, I talk..."

Susanshi, looking around from her spot, took notice of the insignia laid in front of her.

"That symbol again! That's the third time I've seen it now," she said.

"It's the symbol of Sacreca himself," replied Lisa. "See those two tops parts? Those represent his wings, spread up. The two rounded parts on the bottom are his talons."

"Oh, makes sense now," said Susanshi. "So it's basically a religious symbol?"

"Sort of. It's more of a representation of a deity, in this case Sacreca," said Lisa. "It shows his high level of power and authority."

"How do you even know so much?" wondered Susanshi.

"Ah, hehe!" chuckled Lisa. "Well, I admit I'm a bit of a bookworm. Like I said, Alex kind of got me into knowing stuff about the world and its history."

"Ah, so the Wystian descendant is fascinated by his ancestors?" wondered Leo.

Alex didn't respond. Instead he appeared uneasy for a brief second.

"Well, let's not stand around here," insisted Tokot. "Let's check out this dump already."

Him, Leo, Susanshi, Lisa, Alex and Doug all headed to the archway entrance together, taking their first steps into the ruins.

The first thing seen within the structure's interior was a huge room. The floor, although made from the same stone material, was noticeably colder than outside. The air within was stale and chilling. At the back of the room was a large staircase. A pillar was situated on each side at the bottom with a bowl shape on top. Inside the bowls, the stone was slightly blackened, indicating the use of fire for light. The outside light was shining through the windows and entrance, providing the only source of light.

"Logic says to go up the stairs," said Susanshi.

"Oh wow, I totally wasn't thinking the same thing!" remarked Tokot.

Wasting no time, everybody headed up. Waiting for them at the top were a pair of large stone doors with heavily corroded metal handles. Oddly enough, the doors were already opened inwards.

"Oh? Wouldn't doors like this normally be shut?" wondered Leo.

"Maybe someone came through here recently," suggested Susanshi.

Alex decided to randomly and seemingly pointlessly step forward and began to inspect the ground in front of the doors. He got down onto his knees and looked closely.

"Recently," he uttered.

"Huh? How can you tell?" asked Leo.

Alex rubbed his hand onto the floor, collecting small specks of dirt, before raising it up to his face and looking at it. Then, he took a brief lick of it.

"This dirt here is fresh, and from outside," he said.

"And what? Dirt just randomly ended up here?" questioned Tokot.

"No... It's from someone's feet," replied Alex.

"Wait, so you technically just licked someone's foot now? That's... Ew," said Leo.

"Yep, Alex seems to have a heightened sense of taste, mainly with dirt and soil, or so Lisa tells me," said Doug.

"Yes, that's right," confirmed Lisa.

Without another word, Alex stood back up and headed through the doors, the others tagging behind him.

What was next to be seen was yet another room, only much bigger than the previous, and circular. Here, noticeable cracks were running through the ground. The area was also much more damaged, with rubble dotted about from the ceiling and pillars lined around the left and right sides. The eight pillars, four on each side, were in varying degrees of condition. Two were still intact, three were completely destroyed and crumbled to the ground, one had only a few chips in it, and the final two were severed from the ceiling, the missing parts laid on the ground. Curiously enough, one such part was located all the way across the room, far away from its pillar. There were also multiple stands laid about, made from wooden sticks and holding small stone bowls, many of them knocked over and damaged. These were likely used as torches. Along the side of the room were several archways leading to other areas. Overall, the whole room was set like a catastrophic event had happened.

"This place is a mess!" commented Leo. "Could do with a little scrubbing."

"This is strange... What happened here?" wondered Susanshi.

"Whatever it was, it was big," said Lisa.

"What do you think this room was used for?" asked Leo.

"Well, according to the books I've read, this particular room was used by the Wystians to hone and develop their powers," said Lisa. "The archways all around here lead to rooms that were probably used as resting and sleeping quarters."

"Is it possible that that's the reason for this place being in the state it is?" wondered Susanshi.

"There's nobody alive today that truly knows the true extent of their powers, so maybe, but there's no telling for sure," replied Lisa.

"Ah, the smell of mystery! Fascinating!" said Doug.

"You can keep your fascination to yourself, because it won't help here," said Tokot.

"Just seeing this room makes me want to know what really happened all those years ago," commented Leo.

"There's time for history later. Let's get a move on!" insisted Tokot.

The group were on the move again, walking forwards through the dilapidated room. At the end was a corridor taking a bend to the right. It was dark within.

"Ugh, it's so dark in here," groaned Susanshi.

"Leave that to me," offered Tokot.

He moved his way over to the front of the pack and focused his energy into his tail flame. The fires, as well as the light from it, grew stronger. Now, the corridor was brightened up more.

"You're lucky I know Flash," he uttered.

"Oh, nice going, Tokot," said Leo. "But...couldn't you have done that in the mine?"

"I forgot that one time," claimed Tokot.

Leo responded with a smug smile.

"Oh, stop it, Leo!" Tokot snapped back.

The group went ahead, moving forward through the corridor.

"Watch your step," Lisa warned.

Suddenly, Leo fell over forwards.

"I told you to watch out," sighed Lisa, not even turning back or stopping.

"Heh, sorry," said Leo, standing back up and dusting himself off.

"Disaster master strikes back," said Tokot. "Or...were you...faking it?"

He looked at Leo with an annoyed look.

"Yes, I faked it," confessed Leo. "Just some lighthearted humor to light up all this gloomy atmosphere."

"It ain't working, Leo. Quit trying," said Tokot.

There was now a right-hand turn in the corridor, stretching across the right side of the temple. Further down there was a gaping hole with light piercing through in the outside wall, allowing some of the greenery from outside to grow into the corridor.

"Wow, even this old place is going green," commented Leo. "Eh? Eh? I made a funny!"

"Ha, ha, ha. You're hilarious," Tokot said, rolling his eyes.

"Really?!" wondered Leo with excitement.

"No!" shouted Tokot.

Continuing down the corridor, it bended to the right once more, now featuring steps leading up to the next floor. A short trip up these stairs revealed an entrance to another room at the side. Entering, a spacious area awaited. There, a large cavity was built into the floor in the center, roughly five feet deep. While appearing to be built as a trap, there were steps positioned on each side. At the edge of the pit, on the side with the entrance into the room, was a lone, smooth-surfaced stone slab bearing the Sacreca insignia enveloped in a circle.

"What's this room for?" wondered Leo.

"If you ask me, it looks like it was a swimming pool," theorized Susanshi.

"This room was never explained in the books, though I really don't think it was used for that," said Lisa.

"A swimming pool? No thanks, I'd rather stay dry," said Tokot.

"Me too," said Doug.

The whole gang made their way over to where the single slab laid at the side of the pit, then stepping onto it together.

"Hmm... If something really was within this huge indent, then it's gone now," said Leo, peering into the cavity. "All there is now is...well, nothing."

"But what about this slab thing we're standing on now?" wondered Susanshi.

"I don't know, but surely it had some purpose," said Doug. "I mean, why have something lying around if it doesn't have a use?"

A few quiet seconds passed, when suddenly the encircled insignia of the slab's surface began to light up white, as if in reaction to the weight set on it. Everybody stood staring down in surprise as the entire slab, under this mysterious influence, started to levitate an inch off the floor. It then slowly traveled across the pit, carrying everyone with it. Upon reaching the other side, it slowly began to drop down onto the ground. Once it impacted, it deactivated, ceasing the glow. Still awestruck and puzzled, the group all stepped off.

"OK, that was odd," said Leo.

"I'm...confused," said Susanshi.

"Any theories here?" quizzed Doug.

"Well, yeah, I have one," said Lisa. "This slab must be enchanted."

"Enchanted? By what?" wondered Susanshi.

"The Wystians could pass their magical influence onto inanimate objects. The slab was probably used as a means of transportation," said Lisa.

"But the Wystians' powers were lost to time, right? How can the slab still have some of that power left in it?" pondered Susanshi.

"It probably didn't lose the influence," suggested Lisa. "Or... It could've reacted to something in particular."

"Maybe our body weight when we stood on it?" said Leo. "Let's see."

He stepped back onto the slab alone. He waited for a few moments. Nothing happened.

"Strange. It was working before," he uttered.

He began jumping up and down on the spot.

"Come on! Carry me! Transport me! BE MY FEET!"

He grew more impatient by the minute.

"Wait! Maybe it needs more weight," he said to himself.

He stepped off, grabbed Tokot's arm and forced him onto the slab with him. He waited again, but still nothing.

"It doesn't like you, Leo," said Tokot. "Nor me for that matter."

"I don't get it!" exclaimed Leo.

"Leo, calm down," insisted Susanshi.

"Oh, sorry. I got a little carried away. No pun intended of course," said Leo, stepping off.

"Talk about a one way trip," said Tokot, also stepping off the slab.

"Let me try it," offered Susanshi.

She stepped onto the slab and waited. Once again, no response.

"Well, I'm stumped," she said. "Stumped like a Bonsly."

She stepped off the slab.

"My turn," said Lisa.

"Are we really going to do this with everyone?" questioned Tokot.

"We're LEARNING!" announced Doug. "Learning about the Wystians and their bizarre transportation!"

"We came here to find out what that crazy jewel from the falls meant about us coming here!" reminded a disapproving Tokot.

Lisa laid her feet upon the slab. As usual, nothing occurred.

"Nope, even I didn't get it to move," she said, stepping off. "Alex, you try now."

Alex, obeying, stood onto the slab alone. Surprisingly, it responded, the markings glowing. The slab levitated across the pit, taking Alex with it as everyone stood watching. Alex himself appeared to be perplexed and astonished by the event.

"Whoa! It worked for Alex!" exclaimed Susanshi in shock.

"Huh, must be the way Alex is or something," said Tokot.

"Don't be so silly. That can't possibly be it!" disagreed Lisa.

"Alright, what do YOU think, huh?" questioned Tokot. "You clearly know so much more than me."

"Hmm... It's a long shot, but it's all I can think of... It's probably reacting and activating to only Alex because of his Wystian heritage," suggested Lisa.

"Yes! Makes perfect sense!" remarked Doug. "Just look at it! Alex, a Wystian descendant, is able to activate magically-enhanced relics of old times! The blood of Wystians runs through Alex's veins! ...And his arteries and capillaries."

At that point in time, Alex and the transport slab had returned. Alex still appeared unable to comprehend what had just occurred, as well as puzzled by what Doug had just said, which reached his ears clearly.

"I...have Wystian blood?" he pondered.

"Just a figure of speech. Doug basically means you have veeeeery tiny traces of Wystian power inside you," explained Lisa.

"...Makes sense, I think," said Alex, returning to the group.

"Well then..." Leo began to say. "...If ever we need to get past any more of these...obstacles, then we should rely on Alex."

"I feel so helpful..." uttered Alex.

"And what's that suppose to mean?" wondered Leo, not quite in understanding.

"I feel like I don't do much... Even when on missions with Lisa," replied Alex.

"That's false. I think you're helpful whenever you need to be!" encouraged Lisa.

"Thanks..." responded Alex.

"Yo, been fun playing around here, but we've gotta get back on track!" said Tokot, always the one to enjoy dwindling the least.

The group ventured on, coming up to yet another slab, exactly the same as previously, at the back of the room within a semicircle alcove.

"And already, we may need Alex's assistance again," stated Leo.

"That didn't take very long, did it?" remarked Susanshi.

"Why even have these fancy means of transportation anyway?" questioned Tokot.

"Well, at least it's energy efficient, unlike the trains back at home," commented Susanshi.

"All right, Alex! Work your...thing," requested Leo.

Everybody walked over to the slab and stood on top of it.

"Wait, where exactly will this thing take us?" wondered Susanshi, noticing a worrying lack of any sort of path.

The slab responded to Alex's presence, lighting up and hovering vertically into the air. In the ceiling above was a hole, just wide enough for the slab to slip through. Upon fitting through, the elevator-type slab stopped neatly within, now appearing to be part of the floor within a new room. Smaller than the room below, all there was of note was a giant Sacreca symbol etched in the stone in the center.

"Well, this room doesn't seem particularly interesting," said Leo, speaking with first impressions.

"Nope, I know nothing about this room," said Lisa.

"Ah well, nothing to get in our way now. Oughta make things quicker," remarked Tokot.

Immediately, the gang headed off the platform and stepped over the Sacreca symbol. Doug, Leo, Tokot, Lisa and Alex made it across just fine, but when Leo noticed an odd lack of Susanshi amongst the group, he turned back. He discovered her straying behind, appearing overwhelmed and tired for some unexplainable reason. She was walking at a sluggish pace with her head down.

"Susanshi! What's going on?!" questioned Leo, running to her side in worry.

The others stopped in their tracks and started to watch what transpired.

"I...I don't know. I've been feeling strange since I've come into this very room," huffed Susanshi.

"Well, I don't feel anything," said Leo. "What about you lot?"

"Nope, I feel normal," said Lisa.

"My tail's still fired up, so I'm obviously OK," said Tokot.

"I'm fine..." muttered Alex.

Doug gave off a loud belch.

"Oops, sorry," he said, covering his mouth.

"Dude, not cool!" exclaimed Tokot, fanning at his face, suggesting the smell from Doug lingered in the air.

"This place just gets more and more mysterious," commented Leo. "I mean, only you're feeling this effect."

"I...I can't explain it.." mumbled Susanshi, appearing to lose her grip on reality. "I...I feel..."

She collapsed to the ground and everything went dark.

"Susanshi... Susanshi...!" Leo's voice called out.

Susanshi reopened her eyes to see Leo knelled by her side, holding her in his arms and looking at her face. He was most concerned. The rest of the group were also surrounding her.

"You were unconscious for a few seconds just now. What happened to you?" wondered Lisa.

Susanshi appeared to be a little dazed.

"Susanshi, how do you feel?" Leo asked.

"I... I feel fine now," she replied.

"You sure?" Leo continued to ask.

"Positive," said Susanshi.

She made her way back onto her own feet. As if by sheer luck, she was no longer feeling unusual, and was back to her normal state.

"Phew, you had us all worried for a moment there!" said Lisa.

"Done napping on the job? Then get moving!" demanded Tokot.

"I-I wasn't napping! I just suddenly felt faint!" barked Susanshi.

"Are you absolutely sure that you're OK now? I have to ask," Lisa said, as thoughtful as she always is.

"Don't worry, I'm standing now, so I should be," replied Susanshi.

"You're good enough to continue then, Susanshi?" asked Leo.

"Yes, I'll be fine," insisted Susanshi. "Let's go."

Her head still spinning momentarily, she headed back forward, Leo staying close to her. Everyone left through an open archway leading to yet one more room.

At long last, the end of the temple was reached. Everybody stood at the entrance of what visually appeared to be a room of high importance. There was a large hexagonal podium in the middle, with four steps leading up onto it. On the podium itself was what appeared to be a small square pedestal exactly in the center, surrounded by a ring inscribed with a pattern of the Sacreca symbol, a dot and, curiously enough, another insignia. It was similar to the Sacreca symbol, with two horn shapes, but with two extra protrusions on the outside of each, similarly shaped and pointing higher. The two sickles at the bottom were replaced with claw-like features with three points facing down like a cutlery fork. The central pedestal had a deep, thin hole engraved into it, possibly to hold something. Around the podium were five identical pillars with smoothed tops. They were aligned like the points on an upright pentagram.

Finally, one additional pillar, thicker than the others, was erected on the left of the pedestal's steps. It was bearing a highly detailed, expertly crafted stone statuette depicting Sacreca standing tall and proud, wings spanned and head pointing straight ahead. On the right side of the steps was nothing, yet there were subtle signs of something once being there. In the back of the room, behind the podium, was a gaping hole in the wall, just like outside. Light was flooding in, illuminating everything. Judging from the lack of visible rubble on the floor, the entire wall was possibly knocked fully outwards from inside.

"This room looks like it also took a beating," commented Leo.

"What was this room for?" asked Susanshi to Lisa.

"...I really don't have a clue with this one," replied Lisa. "The books totally ignore this room."

"What? That's unusual," said Susanshi.

"Well, let's take a look at what we see here," said Leo. "That thing over there on that stage thing... It looked like it was built to hold something. Same goes for these five pillars."

"Possibly, but no books describe this room, as I said. In fact, they fail to even acknowledge its existence," said Lisa.

"I think we should take a closer look," suggested Susanshi.

She and the others approached the mighty podium, walking up its steps and standing before the empty pedestal.

"So what's this? We came all this way for nothing?!" questioned Tokot.

"I'm not seeing anything of interest here," announced Leo.

"Oh great! This trip was a complete waste!" snapped Tokot.

"Oh no, I don't think it was worthless," objected Lisa. "There's information not available in the history books. This could be very important for the future."

"Forget about that! We came all this way because of some stupid voice Susanshi heard in her mind!" barked Tokot.

"Tokot, please calm down," said Susanshi. "We had no other choice but to come here..."

"I don't think this trip was for nothing," stated Lisa. "It's allowed me to discover new things."

"Of course you're satisfied, but we personally got nowhere!" shouted Tokot.

"Please don't be mad, Tokot. We tried, didn't we?" said Susanshi.

"Try, we did. But also get nowhere, we did," replied Tokot. "Enough of this, let's go back to town!"

"...No, stop right there," some feminine voice said from somewhere.

"What? Who's there? Come out and show yourself!" demanded Tokot, turning back towards the pedestal and tightening his fist. "Nobody tries to stop ME!"

"Forgive me, but I was merely following orders," said the voice.

After a brief silence, the voice uttered again:

"We won't hide ourselves any longer. We'll reveal ourselves to you, as you wish."

"Wait... 'We'?" pondered Susanshi.


End file.
